Shelter
by EverbloomMist13
Summary: After a traumatic night ruined 17 year-old Elena's life, she withdrew from her family and friends by running away to start a new life. Broke, Elena is forced into demanding jobs to support herself. But when her childhood best friend Damon Salvatore moves into town, Elena is forced to confront the dark side that she'd chosen to bury in order to save the lives of everyone she loves.
1. Prologue

SYNOPSIS

**WARNING**: SOME DARK THEMES.

She had dreamed of going to college to be a writer. But all of that was stolen from her _that night_. The night that she wouldn't ever think about, _ever _again.

After a traumatic night, seventeen year-old Elena quickly pulled away from her family and friends, namely her childhood best friend senior Damon Salvatore. She ran away and started a new life. Now working in a strip club to support herself, Elena has learned how to bury the past, and become emotionally detached. When Damon moves into town, she has a run-in with him and he doesn't like what's become of her life. Convinced that the Elena he has known for half his life is not entirely gone, he tries to show her that it's okay to feel. Forced to confront her dark past by Damon, Elena must accept Damon's help despite her reluctance, in order to save not only her life, but the lives of everyone she's ever cared about.

* * *

**PROLOGUE:**

_April 19, 2008-Mystic Falls, VA_  
Elena had just turned the engine off of her green sedan. She had just been with Caroline at the Outlet Mall, scavenging for the perfect prom dress. Caroline had gone all out, as Caroline had always done, picking a glitzy hollywood-type dress, with golden thread lacing around it. Elena had thought it looked like an oscar-worthy dress, and smiled at the idea of Caroline on the red carpet. She, less daring and bold as her best friend, had opted for a nice, plain, silk blue dress that flowed down her body to her knees.

She had been excited to show Damon her dress. When she hopped out of her car, she saw Damon in his front yard, watering the plants.

"Damon," Elena called.

Damon immediately turned, and Elena got a glimpse of his perfect body, toned and fit. Trickles of water drops slid down Damon's chest, and his raven hair was wirelike, soaked and still. His eyes, those cobalt blue eyes that she'd come to know so well over the last six years, were wide and alive, staring at her with joy. As Elena walked closer, she saw that Damon was lifting his left hand, holding the hose firmly. Her mind had clouded. Why was Damon lifting the hose? Then suddenly, all became clear as his eyes gleamed something of a child's.

"Damon, don't!" Elena shrieked shielding herself from the hose, failing to do so as the water cascaded over her. Her new dress was drenched. _He was going to pay_, Elena scowled.

"I'm sorry, I had to." Damon chuckled, setting the hose in the bucket nearby. He looked up at Elena, attempting to suppress his laughter as she stared at him, wide-eyed, her mouth hanging open.

"Damon, this was my _prom dress_! It's ruined!" she cried, crossing her arms over her chest in attempt to hide her now transparent skin under the damp fabric. She had always felt self-conscious of her body, unlike her best friend Caroline. This was ironic, because she was on the school's cheerleading squad. From a young age, Elena's mother had thrust her into gymnastics and dance lessons. At the start of her freshman year, Her mother had begged and pleaded with her to join the cheerleading squad. It had been on Elena's mind, but she was not too serious about it. However, Elena didn't want to disappoint her mother, so she recruited Bonnie and Caroline to sign up with her. After her mother had passed away a month or so after she'd been accepted onto the team, Elena couldn't find it in herself to resign. She had to do this, for her mother.

"It's only a little water, Elena," Damon smirked, and Elena found herself squeezing the air out of her lungs as she hugged herself tighter.

"A _little?_ Damon, it's _soaking wet!"_ she whined, beginning to shiver.

"I know, I'm sorry. Do you want me to take it to the dry cleaners?"

Elena blinked. _Damon was offering to do something for her? Damon only did things for himself._ Unless it in some way, shape or form, benefited him in the end. This was the Damon, this selfless and kind version, was the version that had convinced her to befriend him.

"You'd do that for me?" she asked in disbelief.

"Are you _kidding?_ You're my best friend, Elena. I'd do anything for you." he smirked, a warm gleam in his crystal blue eyes.

For some unknown reason, Elena found herself blushing.

"Um, yeah," she nodded. "That'd be great. Thank you, Damon." Elena smiled warmly at her best friend.

"Okay, go change, and I'll drop it off at Will's on my way home." Damon reached behind him for his shirt and tossed it on.

* * *

"Elena?" She had heard the front door shut, and Damon's voice.

She was upstairs in her bedroom, getting ready for the dance. Her hair was in rollers, and she had just put them in. Jenna was out buying groceries, so Elena was home alone. Not wanting Damon to come up to her room while no body was home, she quickly put down the extra rollers in her hand on the dresser, and ran down the stairs.

"Damon," she sighed, relieved when she saw that he held up a hanger, her dress under plastic wrap.

"Thank you _so_ much for doing that for me," she took the dress from him, and hugged him.

"No problem," he replied, and something in his voice made Elena pull back.

"What?" She asked, searching his face. _Did something go wrong at the dry cleaners?_

"When did you get a black eye?" He asked, reaching up to her left eye.

"Wha- Oh!" She giggled, rolling her eyes. She had just applied smokey eyeshadow to her lids before Damon had arrived.

"That's eyeshadow," she told him, laughing at his reaction.

"Oh, good. I thought somebody had hurt you," he said.

"No, I'm fine," she smiled.

Damon cleared his throat.

"So, what time's _Matt_ picking you up?"

"Um, around seven-twenty. Caroline's coming over early, though, we're getting ready together,"

Damon's eyebrows rised. "And you're choosing to get a head start without her?"

Elena laughed. "The hair takes a while, so that's why I started. I just decided to work on my makeup."

"What time are you picking _Katherine_ up?" she asked, wanting to change the subject. She now felt guilty for getting started without Caroline. She would already hear it from Caroline herself, and she didn't need Damon rubbing more salt into the wound, seeing as Caroline would _pour_ salt into it.

Damon's nose wrinked as he sighed. "About Six. No, wait," he shook his head. _"Six sharp, or you're going alone,'"_ Damon's voice rose a few octaves, impersonating his date, and Elena giggled. Katherine had always been high maintenance. "She wants to be the first ones there, why, I don't know." Damon sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"Why are you going with her then?" Elena scoffed, and immediately, her eyes widened. She hadn't meant to say that aloud. She swallowed, uncertain of Damon's reaction.

"She's the only girl that showed interest." he said.

_Nonsense_, Elena thought. _Every_ girl at school wanted to go out with Damon. In fact, she was a bit jealous of her best friend. He had no trouble getting a date to any event, let alone a girlfriend. Elena had not been so lucky. Well, she had. Damon had told her that many of the guys on the football team wanted to go out with her, but she waved them off. She knew they were only after one thing. And she wasn't offering _that_ up. Damon was like that, too, but not as bad as the others. He _was_.. interested in _that_, but he wasn't some sleezeball jock. He actually cared about his relationships. Most of the time.

"You mean the only girl that _you _showed interest in?" she smirked, and regretted her question as she saw Damon's eyes go cold.

"I'm not like that. You know that." he snapped.

_Jeez_, Damon could be a metronome of emotions sometimes, switching from one to the other.

"Yes, I do. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." Elena looked down at the floor.

She just didn't understand. Damon had _so _many options, and he chose _Katherine Pierce_. Elena scoffed inside her head, frowning. Katherine, of _all _people, was the one person who could really shake Damon, and Elena was sick of her games toward Damon. He would call her in the middle of the night, wanting to vent about Katherine flirting with this person or kissing that person. Elena just wanted her best friend to be treated better. And that wouldn't happen if he was interested in Katherine.

"I should probably go finish getting ready," she said softly as she started walking back up the stairs, wanting to end this thick tension that was beginning to suffocate her. "I'll see you later, Damon. Thank you again for the dress," she smiled, and considered giving him a hug, but decided against it as she wasn't sure where his mood lay.

"You're welcome," he smiled, and she knew she had his unspoken permission.

Elena wrapped her arms around Damon's neck, and spoke softly.

"I'm sorry. I just don't want to see you get hurt by her."

Elena pulled back before Damon could and assessed his expression, which was annoyingly impassive and guarded.

"I'll see you later." he gave her a tight smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Elena headed up the stairs and held her breath until she heard the front door shut.

* * *

"It's so loud!" Elena shouted to Caroline over the pounding music.

Caroline was dancing with her boyfriend, Tyler, while some guy that Elena recognized as some British exchange student looked on at them in envy. The prom was, to say the least, decent. To be honest, however, Elena had expected more..._ magic._ That sounded cheesy, she knew, but she wanted it. Nothing had ensured that, based on her choices that night. She was here with Matt Donovan, one of her secret admirers and a good friend. She didn't return his feelings, though, and the more she thought about it, the more guilty she began to feel for accepting his invitation. Matt, she noticed, had started to pick up her hints, as he was over at one of the tables talking to Amy Bradley, one of their classmates. Elena remembered hearing rumors that she was into Matt.

Second, Damon had already come over to her twice with more complaints about his date. Damon had caught Katherine flirting with Mason Lockwood, a senior as well as one of Damon's friends, over at the punch bowl, and then Katherine had stomped out of the gymnasium after Damon had confronted her about it.

"This prom blows," Damon sighed loudly, startling her. Elena inwardly groaned. _Strike three, and you're out, _she thought.

"What did she do now?" Elena asked, staring at Matt and Amy. When Elena looked at Damon, his bow-tie was undone, and his jacket was unbuttoned. He looked _exhausted._

"She left."

"What?" Elena's eyes widened. _Did Katherine really do that to him?_ She scoffed. Of course she did._ She's Katherine. _

_That's what you get for coming with her,_ Elena thought. She wanted to tell Damon that, but she knew that he wouldn't take it well.

_No, duh._

"Yeah, she told me that she needed air and I saw her leave the gym. Then, I went outside to look for her because she was taking _forever_, and I saw her red convertible driving away." he shook his head as if he couldn't believe it himself.

"I'm sorry, Damon. I wish she-"

"Alright, we're gonna slow things down, so grab that special someone and head to the dance floor."

Elena thought the night couldn't get worse. She was wrong, as the DJ's voice rang over the room. _Now I have to sit on the sidelines while everyone dances_.

_How embarrassing._

"Dance with me," Damon said quickly.

"What?" Elena's eyes widened as she turned to look at him._ This was a slow song, didn't he notice? And Damon didn't do slow songs_, she knew.

_Maybe for Katherine, he would_.

_Perhaps not anymore._

"Come on, Elena. Please. I don't want to be seen alone. Katherine will hear about it and _torture_ me."

Elena sighed. True, she didn't want Damon to be alone, not after the night he'd been having. Plus, she didn't want him to be humiliated by Katherine. Still, she didn't want to be seen dancing with Damon. She knew how her classmates talked. But as she searched around for Matt, her potential savior, he'd already been making his way to the dance floor, with Amy on his arm. _Didn't take him long, _she thought. Elena looked back at Damon. His eyes were wide and pleading. She bit her lip. She didn't want to leave her best friend alone. So, she nodded.

"Okay." she sighed.

Damon laughed, relieved, and led Elena to the dance floor.

* * *

_They danced for too long,_ Elena thought. She didn't even know how long. But when the song ended, Elena felt herself stumble.

"Whoa, Elena, you're fading." Damon griped her arms and Elena jolted awake.

"What?" She asked, looking around.

"Elena, you need to get home, you're fading. Did you get_ any_ sleep last night?" he asked, a hint of anger in his voice.

In truth, she hadn't. She was so nervous about the prom that she didn't get any sleep.

Damon's eyes narrowed at her until he looked around for Matt, who was still dancing with Amy. Elena didn't want to make him leave the dance just because she was tired.

"Call Jenna, have her come get you," Damon suggested.

"No, Jenna's asleep. I'm not making her get out of bed to come and get me," Elena shook her head. Damon could be insensitive at times, and it had bothered her how much he could be.

"I'm sure she'd come get you," he said, shrugging.

_Exhibit A_.

Elena was sure, too. But she _wouldn't _do that to Jenna.

"I'm fine, Damon." Elena told him. "I'll just walk home," Elena sighed. A nice walk would do her good. It was a beautiful night, too.

"No, you're crazy. I'll drive you home." He spoke, shaking his head.

_No,_ Elena thought. She saw Damon with his friends at the table. She was certain that it wasn't punch that they were drinking. And she wasn't awake enough to monitor Damon's driving. And the night would be even more ruined for _both_ of them if he had ended it with a DUI charge.

"Damon, I'm fine with walking. You should stay."

"I have no reason to." he shrugged.

"Yes, you do. Unless you forgot that you're nominated for Prom King," she reminded him, arching an eyebrow at him. When Elena saw his face, she frowned. _Did he actually forget? _She wondered.

"Damn it," Damon ran a hand through his hair, frustrated.

_Apparently._

"See? I'll be _fine,_ Damon. It's not a long walk." Elena told him.

"I'll be home in"- Elena counted the length of the walk- "_Ten_ minutes."

Damon seemed to be considering this. "Call me as _soon _as you step foot inside your house," he ordered.

Elena shook her head. _Damon the over-protective friend._

_"_Yes, _Dad_," she smiled, attempting to lighten his mood.

"Get home safely," he said. "I'll let Matt know that you're leaving,"

"Thank you," she said.

"See you later," he spoke softly and then walked away.

Elena walked over to her chair at the table they had occupied and threw her wool coat over her dress._ Silly that she had this heavy of a coat on, and it was mid-April. _But when you live in the north-east, what could you expect?

Elena snuck out the side doors, not wanting to deal with people wanting to talk to her, or take her picture for the school yearbook. _Not a sound outback,_ she thought. Suddenly, Elena didn't want to walk home. It was cold outside and she was tired, but she wasn't about to go back to Damon and ask for a ride home. He was due to win a crown and she was due at home. The two didn't cross paths.

The sound of Elena's heels clicking on the concrete echoed in her ears as she crossed the street and entered the alley. Above her, a row flickering lights rested on the building side, stretching to the other side of the alley. Elena took out her phone, and saw her screen light up at a new message.

**_From Damon: Matt's fine. Home yet?_**

Elena was about to respond, but her phone was knocked out of her hand, crashing onto the floor and sliding into a water grate as a door that she hadn't seen opened, revealing a stumbling figure, and loud upbeat rock music.

"Great," Elena sighed as she bent down to look for her phone. _No chance, Elena, _she thought.

"Sorry, miss. Did I do something_ wroooong?"_ A masculine voice slurred, and Elena whipped around, startled.

"Oh, um, no, It's just my phone, it slid down into the grate," she turned around to look at the grate, frowning. How long until she could get a new one? She would have to come back with Jenna and see if they could get it out tomorrow.

Elena turned back to the man, who was now standing right in front of her.

"Oh, I'm _so_ sorry," he said, and something about the way he said it rattled elena to the bone.

"Oh, it's fine, it was an accident," she breathed, her mind clouding. _Something was off about him. But Elena didn't know what._

The man leaned in, and Elena caught an overwhelming whiff of alcohol and cigarettes. "You know what's _not_ an accident?" he breathed in her face.

Elena swallowed.

"This."

The man had grabbed Elena by her tiny waist and backed her into the brick wall. Tears swelled her eyes.

"Help! Please! Help, I-" Elena cried, beginning to hyperventilate. She couldn't feel her legs. She couldn't feel her throat. She couldn't feel anything except the cold hands that were now making their way up her legs.

_"Quiet!" _the stranger's voice hissed, tossing his filthy hand over her mouth.

Elena's eyes widened as she screamed against his hand, but all that came out was a humming sound, nowhere near loud enough for someone to hear.

"Please, don't do this!" Elena cried the second that the man had removed his hand from her mouth, moving it to the hem of her dress.

He silenced her with his own mouth against hers.

This was Elena's first kiss. And it wasn't what Caroline had told her it was to be. No butterflies in her stomach. Nothing. His breath was alcohol, mint and smoke. It was the worst feeling she could ever have experienced. Suddenly, Elena felt his tongue enter her mouth, and she nearly threw up.

Elena struggled against his body, which was pressing into her. She felt something moving at her stomach, and it freaked her the hell out.

"If you be quiet and let me finish, I won't kill you," he growled against her lips.

"No, please-" Elena whimpered as his hand caressed the spot in between her legs.

"Shut up, you bitch,"

She felt one, then two cold fingers down there. It was an alien feeling. She felt as if she was watching this scene unfold, instead of being front and center. Her mind started hazing.

"This might hurt a bit," he breathed as he gripped Elena's hips tightly.

All of Elena's thoughts were wiped from her mind as her senses went into overdrive. What was he going to do to her? She felt something large slide into her, and he was right.

_It did hurt._

She was a mess, her face was sticky with tears, and her heart was rapidly pounding in her throat. Elena closed her eyes as she shook her head. _She wasn't here. She was still back at the dance, still convincing Damon to let her walk home alone. _God, had she been mad._ She should've listened to Him._

"God, you're so tight," his mouth met hers again, demanding and hasty.

Suddenly, Elena felt something warm and tingly move inside of her, and then she felt nothing.

"Thank you," he said, leaning into kiss her once more. "Looks like it was your first time, too," he grinned menacingly. Elena looked down, and at the center of her legs, blood was stained on her legs.

Elena was frozen, and she was now frozen on the ground as he pushed her down. Elena lay on her side, shaking from head to toe. Her face was on the cold concrete, and her legs were sore. Her entire lower body was sore. He was so rough with her.

The man entered the building that he had come from, and Elena was left alone in the cold. She sat up, her makeup and dress ruined, feeling nothing but regret for not letting Damon drive her home.

* * *

_April 26, 2008_

It had been one week. One week since _that night._

Elena hadn't moved from her bed. Aunt Jenna had went to retrieve Elena's phone, and returned it to her. She had knocked several times, alerting Elena of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Once a day, Jenna would bring up Elena's assignments that she picked up from school, but Elena ignored them. Her grades were probably in the D's and F's range now. She used to be an A's and B's student, but she used to be someone else, before... A handful of times, Jenna had told her that Damon was at the front door, desperate to see her. But Elena didn't respond, and Jenna didn't allow Damon to see her, no matter what threats he made.

Elena didn't want to talk to anybody. She was scared. She wanted _so _hard to forget about _that night_, but she couldn't. She wasn't eating, and when she wasn't nauseous, she was throwing up.

_Speaking of,_ Elena ran from her bed to the conjoined bathroom she shared with her brother as she deposited her stomach into the toilet.

_ Something was wrong_.

_She just didn't know what._

* * *

_May 3, 2008_

_She was pregnant. She couldn't believe it._

That creep had gotten her pregnant. She was horrified, and Jenna was devastated. It had been two weeks now, and she was still throwing up.

Jenna had suggested an abortion, which Elena recoiled at. She wasn't really a religious person, but she did not believe in killing an innocent child. She didn't know what to do come nine months. She couldn't _possibly_ keep the baby. She had no money, no insurance, nothing. But she had decided that that was a matter that didn't need to be settled immediately.

Elena had begged and begged Jenna to let Elena go live with her other Aunt, Isobel in Grove Hill. Elena didn't want to be here, not where... She couldn't face her friends. She couldn't go back to school. But Jenna wouldn't let Elena go live with Isobel. Isobel already had her own problems and didn't need to worry about Elena's problems as well. So, Elena decided to take matters into her own hands. That Thursday night, Elena called her mother's old friend, Mrs. Flowers.

Mrs. Flowers was a rich widow. She had babysat Elena, and was a dear friend of the Gilberts. Elena had asked her to help her leave town, and as much as Mrs. Flowers tried to convince Elena that she should stay, she eventually gave in.

* * *

_May 11, 2008_

So that Sunday night, Elena had told Jenna that she was going over to Bonnie's to study, and Jenna was too preoccupied with cooking to notice anything strange about Elena. She had already placed her suitcase in her trunk, and Mrs. Flowers was waiting. Elena walked out of the house that she'd known her entire life for the last time, and into the rainy atmosphere. She threw up her black hood over her head and hopped in her car.

Upon reaching Mrs. Flower's house, which was down the street, Elena began to tear up. She placed her hand over her stomach. She would be strong. She needed this. Her baby needed this. She took one big breath and forced herself to remain calm. If Mrs. Flowers sensed _any_ uncertainty in Elena, she could easily persuade her to stay.

But Elena couldn't let that happen. She needed to start over. And if Jenna wouldn't allow her to move away, then Elena had to _run_ away.

"Are you sure, dear?" Mrs. Flowers held a duffle, which contained $3,000.

"Yes, I am. Thank you so much, Mrs. Flowers." Elena held out her hand for the duffle, but Mrs. Flowers hesitated.

"Mrs. Flowers, please," Elena pleaded. She was running out of time. She needed to leave. If_ any_ of Mrs. Flowers' neighbors witnessed this, Jenna would be on her heels, dragging her back home.

And that couldn't happen. It _wouldn't._

"I need to go. If you are going to help me, and I pray that you do, I need that money now. If you aren't, then-"

Elena hadn't realized that the duffle was already in her hands.

"Thank you so much," Elena breathed, surprised that Mrs. Flowers hadn't bailed on her.

"Your welcome, dear," Mrs. Flowers smiled, a saddened look on her fragile face.

"And, please, don't-" Elena said quickly.

"I won't tell anyone, dear. Please call when you're safe."

"I will."

After waving goodbye to Mrs. Flowers, Elena ran to her car through the thick sheets of rain and threw the duffle into the back seat.

And she was off.

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	2. One

**CHAPTER 1: **

_September 2012-Richmond, VA_

Elena Gilbert sat on the city bus, on her way home from work. It had been an overwhelming night, to say the least. Too many men attempted to feel her up, and it terrorized her. She nearly fainted, but Kol had come to her rescue.

Kol was her boss, who had hired her immediately. He was kind and he had offered her a place to stay when she had first arrived in Richmond, but she declined. He insisted that she didn't have to pay rent, but she told him she still wanted some spare cash. Nothing lasted forever, and if they got into conflicts, she could find her own place.

Lately, however, Kol was showing more anger in his work. He got upset when Elena would tell him about a customer being inappropriate, and he would be very protective of her. It was nice, but it was beginning to occur _every night._

She knew that Kol was attracted to her. It would explain some of the things he did for her, like tossing out some guy who _seriously _creeped her out. But that would've happened to anyone, she wasn't so special. But then the times, when Elena would show up late, and he's let it slip, while when one of the other workers was late, he would lose his mind. They were a busy place. Elena knew why he had done those things, and she had caught on quickly. She wanted no romantic relationship, let alone with her boss. If she got closer to him, it would only end in disaster. She wasn't even interested in a romantic relationship.

Elena looked at her watch. It was nearly eight. Caroline and Bonnie were coming over to hangout after Elena had informed them that she had had a bad night.

Elena had called Jenna and told her that she was safe about a week after arriving in Richmond, and when Jenna demanded that she tell her where she was, Elena threatened to hang up. She assumed that Jenna had informed Caroline and Bonnie that Elena had made contact, and that they probably had hassled Jenna for Elena's new phone number. Once Elena saw that Caroline Forbes was calling her, she broke down.

She hadn't spoken to Caroline since she left. Elena answered the phone, and Bonnie was there with Caroline. They demanded Elena tell them why she left, and Elena was grateful that Jenna didn't tell them before she could. Elena arranged for them to come visit her in Richmond, but only on the condition they wouldn't tell Jenna that they were doing so, and when they had arrived a few days later, Elena told them everything that had happened _that night_, even though it rattled her. They had listened to her while she weeped, and they stayed with her through her pregnancy.

"Please, wait!"

Elena looked out the blurry window, seeing Kol rushing to the bus, waving at the driver.

"Thank you, sir," he smiled at the driver, and made his way down the aisle.

Elena slid down the seat, trying to hide from him. She placed her hand in front of her face and glanced out the window.

"Elena?"

_Didn't work._

"Kol?" Elena looked up, pretending to be surprised.

"Well, this is fun. May I sit?" Kol smiled, gesturing to the vacant seat next to her.

Elena bit her lip._ This was going to go somewhere she didn't want it to, but she couldn't exactly refuse her boss._

"Of course," Elena sat up and smiled.

"Well," Kol sighed as he sat down beside her. "Headed home?"

"Yes," Elena nodded.

"Do you always take this bus?"

Elena realized then that Kol purposely got on _this _bus. _Her_ bus.

"Yes, I guess. I don't see you on it," she said, subtly hinting that she had caught onto him.

"My car's at the shop. And my brother is late to pick me up," Kol shrugged.

"Oh," Elena said, looking at her fingers.

"Any plans tonight?"

"Caroline and Bonnie are coming over," She said.

"Oh, I like that Bonnie girl." Kol smiled.

Elena nodded, and remembered that Bonnie, along with Caroline, had accompanied her to the Christmas party that Kol threw the year that Elena came to Richmond. She was heavily pregnant then, and felt embarrassed. She was single and pregnant. Too many people had given her looks either to her stomach, or her ring finger. After the saw her ringless finger, they looked at her with pity. It had saddened her, but Bonnie and Caroline had helped her forget.

"Yeah, she's a great friend," Elena agreed, coming back to.

The rest of the bus ride was quiet, small talk filling the awkward void between Elena and Kol. He occasionally asked her questions about herself, which she lightly dismissed. She didn't like to talk about herself. It was only when they were the only people left on the bus that conversation emerged again. Elena had been studying the ways that the raindrops trickled down the window when Kol's voice echoed in her mind.

"Elena?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

Too nervous of what he would ask, she nodded.

"Would you like to have dinner with me this Friday evening?"

Elena sighed inwardly. _She didn't want to cross this line. _

_And he was putting her on the spot._

"Um, Kol, I-"

Kol's mouth stopped her words.

Was he _kissing _her?! This was her_ boss_. Elena felt this was all _kinds_ of wrong. She didn't know what to do. His arms laced around her waist, pulling her to him, and she didn't like it. Kol was getting aggressive with her mouth.

"Elena, This is your stop,"

Connor, the bus driver Elena had come to know well, said from the front.

Elena pulled away, looking down at her fingers to avoid what she kew was Kol's hurt eyes.

"Elena,"

She was already up on her feet, her lips swollen.

"Please, forgive me," Kol shook his head in what Elena assumed was regret.

"I should go," It was all she could say. _Without hurting him, at least._

"Please, listen. I like you, Elena. I'm sure you already know that, but I just wanted to do that. I have for a long time, Elena," Kol's eyes filled with sincerity.

Elena felt even more overwhelmed. She needed to talk to Caroline and Bonnie. Caroline could sniff out anything, and this situation was _definitely _not one that her radar would miss. For once, Elena wanted to vent to Caroline.

"I'll think about dinner," Elena told him. It was the only safe thing that she could say, that would make him content and allow her to leave. "Goodnight, Kol,"

"Goodnight, Elena," he breathed, moving aside for her to exit the aisle.

The second that her feet touched the ground, Elena was overwhelmed again with emotions. Her boss had just kissed her. She hadn't been kissed since _that night_ and she was a whirlwind of emotions.

Deciding it best to shake them for the time being, she walked up the lawn and dug out her keys to her house. It was a small house, the perfect one for her. Oddly, in all of this gloom that was her past, this little house was actually feeling like a home to her.

"What the hell was that?" Elena heard when she shut the door. Caroline and Bonnie were on the couch, watching reruns of _Grey's Anatomy_.

"What was what?" she asked. _Damn, her voice was high._

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I'm _talking_ about you're hot and heavy make out sesh with Mr. Employer!" she laughed.

"You saw that?" Elena sighed, blushing at the thought of her two best friends witnessing that. What _was_ that? Her _boss_ had just_ kissed_ her, for goodness sake. Her head was spinning.

"Yeah," Bonnie nodded apologetically.

Caroline scoffed. "Of _course _we saw it! We're not _blind_, you know, and those bus windows are too cheap to be tinted," Caroline winked.

"Was that Kol?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes, it was. Can we please drop it?" She pouted at Caroline as she plopped onto her couch. In the moment, it seemed like a good thing to talk about the situation with Caroline and Bonnie, but now that it had passed, it just sounded like a bad idea, what with the direction that Caroline was taking things.

"_No,_ we can't _drop _it, Elena, this is _it!"_ Caroline exclaimed. She had wanted Elena to "get back on that horse and ride it!" Dear_ God_, Caroline was crazy. Elena wasn't ready, let alone for _that_.

_She didn't know if she'd ever be._

_"Caroline!"_ Bonnie cried, shaking her head. Elena was thankful for Bonnie's guts against Caroline.

"It's okay, Bonnie. I just-I have a lot going on right now, and honestly, I had wanted to talk about what just happened, but now, I'm kind of wiped out," she admitted.

"Okay, new subject." Bonnie smiled.

"Damon has been wondering what happened to you," Caroline said quietly.

Elena looked up at Caroline, frowning.

"You still talk to him?"

"Why wouldn't we?" Caroline scoffed.

"No reason," Elena said, looking at her hands. "I just didn't realize that you guys were that close,"

"Well, after you left, he was pestering everyone for information on you," Bonnie intervened. "All he knows is that you walked home after prom..."

Elena felt her blood run cold at the mention of _that night._

_"And_ that you skipped town with a wad of cash," Caroline added.

"Well, I- I can't talk to him," Elena shook her head. She couldn't have that argument with Damon. _Not yet, or ever. Yes, she liked that idea._ Even though she missed him. But instead of comforting her, he would argue with her, and himself for not insisting she accept his offer.

"Suit yourself," Caroline muttered.

"Care-"

"It's fine, Bonnie," Elena raised her hand.

"We should get going. You need some rest for tomorrow." Bonnie smiled warmly at Elena, then turning to look at Caroline expectantly.

_"What?"_ Caroline narrowed her eyes at Bonnie. "But we _just _got here!" she exclaimed, and Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"Yes," Bonnie said slowly, "And now we're leaving, Elena's tired, and Grams wants me home."

Elena smiled. Ever since Bonnie and Caroline had moved out here, Bonnie had reconnected with her grandmother, who was giving them a place to stay.

"We'll see you later, Elena," Bonnie hugged Elena, and Caroline did the same.

"Yeah," Elena smiled. "Thanks, and sorry for the bum night,"

"Oh, it's fine, Elena. Gets some rest." Bonnie slid on her parka.

"Oh, hey, I'm throwing a party for-er, fun, and I want you to come," Caroline said as she stepped outside into the night.

"Oh? When?" Elena asked.

"Friday night," Caroline smiled.

_Friday Night,_ Elena thought. _What was Friday night?_

_Oh, the dinner._

Elena smiled inside. _It was the perfect excuse to give Kol._

"Yeah, I think I can," She smiled.

"Great!" Caroline giggled. "Later, Elena!"

Caroline and Bonnie waved as they walked down the driveway and climbed into Caroline's blue car.

* * *

She'd managed to dodge Kol's constant begging all week.

_Until Thursday._

"So, have you thought about dinner?" He asked Elena, who was carrying a tray of drinks. She hated this part. Her clothes were too revealing, and she was cold._ Beggars can't be choosers_, she thought.

"I_ have, _and unfortunately, Caroline's forcing me to go to some party that she's throwing." Elena gave him an apologetic smile. In all reality, she did feel sorry that she was bailing on his date. But it was for the best to keep things between them on a platonic level.

"Oh," Kol sighed, clearly disappointed. "Where's her party?"

"I don't know. Probably at her house." Elena shrugged. Caroline Forbes of all people had a _huge _house, of course. She worked at StyleLife Magazine, and she was a major Socialite. _And she was Caroline Forbes._

"She could have it here," Kol suggested, shrugging.

Elena hadn't expected this. If Caroline _did_ throw her party here tomorrow night, then Elena wouldn't hear the end of Caroline trying to set her and Kol up. And it was already hard lying to her boss. _Well, somewhat lying,_ she reminded herself. Most of it _was _true.

"Come on, Elena. I'll cover the expenses." he told her. "Besides, It _is _my club," he smiled.

Elena saw no way out of this. And she would never forgive Caroline.

"I'll mention it to her," Elena said. Kol smiled.

_She was screwed._

* * *

Caroline_ loved_ the idea of having her party at a _strip club_.

_Go figure._

As much as Elena tried to persuade Caroline otherwise, Caroline was stuck on the idea as if she'd superglued herself to it.

So, Friday night, Elena was waiting tables, watching the club fill up with Caroline's guests. Due to Caroline's social status, the place was _crawling_ with people.

"Elena!"

Caroline squeezed Elena tightly. _Too tightly,_ Elena thought as she was beginning to go numb in the feet. Her sparkly dress was just shy of inappropriate, Elena thought, then rolled her eyes._  
_

_What's inappropriate to a strip club?_

"Hey, Care," Elena smiled as Bonnie came up to them. "This place is _amazing!"_ Bonnie said in awe as she looked around in every and all directions.

Elena laughed. It _was_ a great party venue, she shrugged, and as long as Caroline was happy with it, that was the important thing.

"Oh," Caroline looked at her phone suddenly, and Elena rolled her eyes as she smiled. _Did Caroline ever _not_ look at her phone?_

"What's wrong?" Elena wondered.

"Oh, n-nothing." Caroline ran her hand through her hair, and Elena only recognized that as one of Caroline's tells- her _nervous_ tell.

_Caroline, nervous?_

"Ladies, and Gentlemen," Kol's voice rang loud over the room, and the sound of conversation slowly faded. Elena looked up. Kol was standing on the stage, making an announcement.

_What was going on?_

"First, we'd like to thank Miss Caroline Forbes here for choosing _The Rave_ as the venue for this party!"

A rupture of applause sounded and even a few whistles. Elena turned and saw Caroline blushing. _Caroline blushing!_

"Second," Kol resumed once the cheers showed sign of dying down. "We'd also like to _congratulate _Caroline Forbes on her Promotion at StyleLife Magazine!"

Elena whipped around, stunned.

_Caroline was promoted? Why didn't she say anything about it?_

Elena watched as nearly everyone in the room was grouping in on Caroline, congratulating her.

"Yes, Congratulations, Caroline," a velvet voice praised. "Very proud of you."

Elena froze. _That voice_. She knew that voice like the back of her hand.

Slowly turning toward the front entrance, Elena saw the one person that she never thought she'd have to see again.

"Damon?"

"Elena?"

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	3. Two

**CHAPTER 2:**

_"Elena?"_

_No, no, no, no, no_. He wasn't there. This wasn't happening. She wasn't ready for this. She wasn't ready to have this talk. She'd spent the last year and a half, after giving up her son, trying to bury all of her thoughts, everything that had happened. And just when she was successful, _Damon_ had to show up and force it out of her.

Elena stood there, silent, but desperate. What could she say? So much had happened since she last saw him. She was still emotionally healing from the pain of having to give up Ryan.

She shook her head. She wasn't going to get flustered with what she was going to tell Damon because she _wasn't _going to tell Damon anything.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her.

Elena looked at Damon. The look on his face was utter shock, verging on something that looked like... _anger_. Why was he angry? Because she'd not spoken to him since she left Mystic Falls? Because she'd not called him that night? Damon was not used to people leaving him. His mother had left when he was five. And his brother left with her. She never met his brother. Damon never talked about him.

"I work here," she said nervously. _Why the hell was she nervous?_

"You work _here_?" Damon looked around the place with a look of disgust.

Of course, Damon had probably pictured here to be anywhere else _but_ a strip club. _Could this get any worse? _Elena stared down at her feet.

Elena remembered that she was dressed in her stripper waitress uniform.

_That was worse_.

"Yes," Elena said confidently, looking back up at him. She wasn't going to let him intimidate her. She was not the same fragile little girl that he knew three years ago.

"Huh," his eyes narrowed on her, and she found herself crossing her arms over her chest protectively. He would always have that intimidating effect on her, even after three years of no contact. _Damn him._

_So much for not letting him intimidate her._

"Excuse me, you two," Caroline cleared her throat as she stepped forward_._ "But your little reunion is starting to attract an audience. _My party guests._"

_Reunion? Hardly._

"I'm sorry, Caroline. I have to get back to work, anyways. _Damon," _She arched an eyebrow at him, daring him to ignore Caroline. May God have Mercy on his soul if he did so.

Damon closed his eyes momentarily, and then opened them, displaying a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"My apologies, Caroline," he said. "We'll take this conversation out in the lobby,"

_Wait, what?_

Elena's eyes widened. No, he was _not _coming back into her life, and he sure as hell was _not _going to drag her out of the room like some errant child. Suddenly, Elena felt Damon's hand grip her arm.

"Damon, let go of me!" She snapped as she attempted to free her arm.

"You're making a scene," He hissed coldly.

Elena scoffed. _She _was making a scene? She wouldn't even be _arguing _if he hadn't been dragging her out like she was a child.

_"I'm _the one making a scene? _You're_ the one who's dragging me out of here like I'm some misbehaving child." she defended angrily as she was lured through the crowd of people.

_Why wasn't anyone saying something?_ Elena was basically being _manhandled_ and people were watching it like it was some good soap opera.

Elena was whisked through a set of doors, and she and Damon were now alone in the lobby. She could hear the faint sound of the resuming dance music.

"That was _so _uncalled for," She crossed her arms, shaking her head at him. _Who the hell did he think he was?_ And what the hell was his problem, thinking he could get away with a stunt like that?

"What the hell happened?" Damon demanded, ignoring her comment.

"What are you talking about?" Elena asked, feigning oblivion. She crossed her fingers that it was convincing.

"Don't play dumb with me." he snapped. "You _know _what I'm talking about, Elena. Out with it."

_Guess not._

"I moved away," she shrugged as if all was nothing to her. "Big deal."

_Well, it wasn't a big deal. She made sure of that. _

Damon looked taken aback. "'Big Deal? No, Elena, you didn't 'move away', You _ran _away!" he snapped, causing Elena to flinch "And you work in a _strip club? Really, _Elena? You could do _so _much more with your life! _Why _are you working _here?_"

"Why do you care?" She wondered, blinking.

Damon had been worried about her since she left, according to Caroline. Why didn't he go have a family, or at least get married? That was surprising. Damon wasn't even _married_. But, now that Elena thought about it, Damon wasn't really the marrying type. _More like the one night stand type._

"Because something happened after prom that you're not telling me," he growled as his eyes were blazes of fire.

"I'm nearly twenty one and I can do whatever the hell I want, Damon," She said defensively. "And who says that something happened after prom?"

"That was the last time we talked. You didn't reply to my text. You promised me that you'd call me as soon as you got home," his voice trailed off as if he was hypnotized, or lost, or searching or something...

Elena's eyes widened in fear. _Damon was smart. He could easily guess, and when he did..._

_No_. Elena wouldn't let him get any closer. She had to leave before he came to the right conclusion and interrogated her further. She _would not _let Damon discover he secrets.

"This is ridiculous. I have to work, Damon. I'll see you around." Elena sighed as she walked toward the door. Elena had just reached for the handle when Damon spoke.

"Did someone hurt you?"

Elena whipped around, wanting to scream at him. But she froze, trying with every will she had to come up with a lie, to convince him that nothing happened. Just as Damon's eyes widened, the door opened.

"Everything alright?"

_Thank God,_ Elena let out the breath that she didn't know she was holding as Kol slid through the door. She had never been so happy to see him.

"Who the hell is he?" Damon snarled, narrowing his eyes on Elena.

_What the hell was his problem?_

"_He_ my _boss_, Damon," she replied through clenched teeth."Kol!" Elena turned back to Kol, attempting a smile. "Yes, everything is alright."

Elena did her best to sound confident, and based on Kol's face expression, she had been successful. "I'm coming. Could you wait for me?" she asked.

The only way that she was going to escape Damon was if someone else was helping her do so. He couldn't possibly keep her there, not with Kol standing there. Elena turned back to Damon.

"Goodbye, Damon," she told him.

Elena walked over to meet Kol, who held the door for her. When she stepped in, she felt Kol's hand rub her back. She tensed. _Was he trying to comfort her?_ If so, it wasn't helping.

When they entered the main hall, Elena was still aware of Kol touching her. She wanted so desperately to tell him to take his hand off of her, but for some reason, she couldn't.

In the corner of her eye, Elena saw Caroline and Bonnie scrambling over to her.

"What happened out there? Why is Damon here?" Bonnie asked.

"I have no idea. But he just cornered me on why I haven't made contact with him since I left Mystic Falls," Elena told them. She was still dizzy from that intense conversation. She had survived. She shook her head sadly. _No, she hadn't. She didn't tell him anything_.

Bonnie cleared her throat, interrupting Elena's thoughts.

"What?" Elena looked up at Bonnie, who shot a look at Caroline.

Caroline swallowed.

"Did you know he was coming here?" Elena demanded, horrified. _Had Caroline really known that he was going to be at the party?_

Caroline'e blue eyes squeezed shut. "Yes and No," she admitted.

Elena couldn't believe it. Caroline _knew _that Damon was going to show up! She wanted to scream at Caroline, but decided against it.

"And you didn't think to give me a heads up?" Elena asked incredulously. _Why hadn't she said anything?_

_This_ was what bothered Elena the most about it. She may not have liked the fact that Caroline knew that Damon would be there, but it was because Caroline hadn't warned her ahead of time that really had hurt her.

"No, _Elena-_ It's not what it looks like." Caroline whimpered.

"Okay, I sent out the invites on Facebook, _stupidly_," Caroline added when Elena scoffed. "Damon messaged me the next day and _hounded_ me for information about you, and I didn't know why, and then I realized that I had accidentally added you onto the guest list. Damon must've put two and two together," Caroline added apologetically. "I'm _so _sorry, Elena. I only told him so he'd just leave me alone. I didn't think he'd _actually_ show up, let alone corner you. I shouldn't have said anything to him."

Elena frowned. She loved Caroline, but _boy,_ could she underestimate people sometimes.

"It's fine. I forgive you, Care." Elena breathed. "Just please, don't do that to me again," She didn't want to yell anymore. She was worn out from Damon, and now if she continued with Caroline, then she'd die from a migraine.

Caroline smiled in disbelief. "Really? Oh, thank god," she laughed. "I won't. I'm _so _sorry, Elena," Caroline pulled Elena in for a hug.

"Care, it's _fine,_" Elena giggled. Caroline could really take things to personal. It saddened Elena that her best friend thought so low of herself

Bonnie spoke up softly. "What did he want?"

Elena pulled away from Caroline, sighing. "He basically just asked me what happened after prom," Elena closed her eyes. It still affected her. Even after she'd been trying to forget it.

_"_And what did you say?" Caroline asked carefully.

"Just that nothing happened, really." Elena saw Caroline and Bonnie's mouths fall open.

"Why didn't you tell him the truth?" Caroline pressed.

Elena swallowed.

"I'm not ready to have that talk. He probably would yell at me for not letting him drive me home that night," she admitted. In truth, that was the heart of it. _Damon wouldn't be sensitive. Damon would be hurtful._

"If you _were_ to tell him, would you tell him about the pregnancy?" Caroline asked, and Elena flinched. This was still all so sore in her memory.

"I don't know. It would probably depend on his reaction." Elena sighed. Whether now or in ten years, Damon's reaction would be the same: predictable. She was never going to tell him about the pregnancy, or Ryan.

"Hey, Kol," Elena hollered over the music. Kol was over at the bar, pouring drinks for the men at the barstools.

"Yeah, Elena?"

"Is it okay if I head out? I'm not feeling well,"

Kol smiled, holding up his thumb. "Sure. Feel better,"

Elena gave him a thankful nod, and returned to Caroline and Bonnie.

"You're leaving?" Caroline asked sadly.

"Yeah, I'm worn out." Elena chuckled softly.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Bonnie asked, a look of concern in her amber eyes.

"No, that's okay. I wouldn't _dare_ steal you from Caroline here," Elena smirked. Honestly, She really just wanted to be alone.

_"Really,_ Elena, it's no trouble," Bonnie smiled sincerely.

_"Yes,_ Bonnie. Go with her. She needs somebody to talk to," Caroline ordered. Elena frowned. That was where they were different. Caroline would cheer up easily with a talk, while Elena would be perfectly content with just sleeping it off.

"It's fine, guys. I just need some time alone." Elena admitted. "But thank you, for trying to cheer me up,"

"Are you sure?" Caroline asked, her eyes disbelieving.

"Yes," Elena nodded. "I'll catch you guys later."

* * *

The second that Elena shut her door, her eyes flooded with tears.

Why did Damon have to show up at Caroline's party? Did he expect to find her there? _Probably,_ Elena thought. Elena wanted to tell Damon everything, ever since Caroline had mentioned that he was worried about her. And she was lying to herself if she told herself any different.

But she just _couldn't._

Deciding to bury her thoughts for a while, Elena headed into the bathroom to take a shower and when she turned to the mirror, she froze.

Her apron was way too eager to reveal her cleavage, which she _hated_. Her skirt was _just _long enough to cover her private areas. And the shoes, she thought. The strapped, black Prada skyscraper heels that looked like a strippers? _Genius._ Her make up was wild, and she looked like a hooker. _Was that what she was?_

_"And you work in a strip club? Really, Elena? You could do so much more with your life! Why are you working here?"_

Damon's words from earlier were like weights falling onto her heart. She worked at some run-down strip club. _Of course she was._ Damon was right. She could do so much better for herself.

_Damon._ Elena scoffed, wiping a tear from her eye. He sure pulled the rug out from under her. She had been _so_ sure that she could avoid him. She was _so_ sure that she had succeeded in locking her past away in the dark corners of her mind. But Damon showing up at Caroline's party tonight had been walking proof that she was lying to herself.

Elena slid off her outfit and saw the scar on her stomach.

She froze.

That was the only physical memory of it all. The only proof that it was real, even when she wanted to pretend it wasn't.

She remembered the day so well...

* * *

_December 28, 2008_

"Miss Gilbert," Her OB/GYN Dr. Ottavi said firmly. "The baby's in distress. We need to perform an Emergency C-Section if we are to save him or her,"

_A C-Section?_ _Her baby was dying? No. NO!_

"Get him out!" Elena panicked, tears streaming down her face. "_Please_, save him!"

"We will try to, Miss Gilbert, but we need to move you to the OR,"

"Jenna?"

Elena looked around, searching the blurry faces for the redhead.

"I'm here, Elena, I'm here," Jenna sobbed.

"Please, _help_ him!" Elena wailed, gripping Jenna's wrist for moral support.

"We will Elena, we-"

"Elena, you need to calm down," Jeremy told her as he came up to stand by the hospital bed. "The doctors are gonna save him,"

"You promise?" She sniffled.

Through her watery eyes, Elena saw Jeremy look up to Jenna and Dr. Ottavi.

_Jeremy, please._

Jeremy looked back down at Elena.

"Yes,"

"Get her to the OR, _now."_

Elena was whisked away through many doors and many fluorescent lights. _She was so scared_. A tiny thought inside of her head had wanted her best friend's arms around her. But she hadn't seen him in nine months.

_She was alone._

* * *

_Dec 28, 2008- 10:50 PM_

"This is going to hurt, Miss Gilbert,"

_It did hurt. Like hell_. A knife was _literally_ being pierced into her lower abdomen, where her baby was fighting for it's life.

_"FUCK!" _It felt _so _good to scream. It was like she was trapped in a box, and she'd finally found the seal to open it.

_"Elena, you're stronger than anyone I've ever known. You can survive the impossible."_

The pain ceased as Elena remembered where she'd heard them.

_Damon._

Damon had said those words to her at her parent's funeral. He had written those words about her in her yearbook their Freshman year.

It was the nicest thing that anyone had ever said to her.

It was those words that had kept her going, and she needed them now.

So she used them.

* * *

_DEC 28, 2008 - 10:58 PM_

"It's a boy," Dr. Ottavi announced just as a piercing cry erupted in the room.

_A boy? _Elena exhaled happily. She'd done it. She had just brought another life into the world: Her son.

"Let me...see him.. please," Elena breathed, holding out her tired arms for her son.

"Just a moment, Miss Gilbert,"

In what seemed like ages, Jenna walked up to Elena's bedside, holding a bundle of blue.

"Here he is, Elena," she smiled through tearful eyes.

From the second that she held him, her son, Elena's entire world shifted. She was a whole new person. She was no longer only providing for herself, but for him as well.

"Oh, my god," Elena giggled through the tears, looking at the perfect face of her son. "He's so perfect," she whispered, caressing his tiny face.

"Yeah, he is," Jeremy agreed, coming up beside Jenna.

"What are you gonna name him?" Jenna asked.

Elena's heart sunk all the way through to China. She had forbidden herself to even think of naming him. It would make it _that _much harder to give him up. And seeing his face, his innocent, sweet face, she was on the fine line between right and wrong.

"I'm not naming him," Elena said softly, and Jenna and Jeremy looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean? My nephew needs a name," Jeremy smiled.

_Oh, God. Jeremy, please, don't._

Elena burst into tears. She couldn't keep him. She wanted so desperately to keep him and raise him, and see him go on his first date with a beautiful girl, see him graduate high school, college even. But all her life, Elena was raised to do the right thing, no matter how difficult it was. Even if it had _killed _her.

And this was one of those times.

"I can't keep him," Elena choked as her eyes watered. It had been the hardest thing to say in her life.

"What?" Jenna and Jeremy' gasps were knives in Elena's heart.

"Please, you guys," she said softly as she closed her eyes, "Don't make this harder for me... than it already is,"

"Elena," Jenna sat on the bed and rubbed Elena's arm gently. "Are you _sure?"_

_Say it, _Elena forced herself. If she didn't say it in the next five seconds, then she never would.

"Yes,"

* * *

Elena rubbed her scar, and her breath was caught in her throat. _My baby,_ she thought, smiling through her tears. He had inspired her to do the right thing, even if it was hard.

_And that spoke volumes to her._

She had loose ends to tie up, even if it would torture her. She would do it. Because _he_ had shown her how to.

* * *

_"Elena?_" Caroline's hazy voice rang in her ear.

"Caroline, where are you?" Elena asked._ Was she drunk?_

"_Uhm, I'm-ooh!- not sure,_" Caroline giggled. _"We're moving though!"_

_"We're almost to the tower!"_ Elena hear Bonnie scream happily.

_What tower?_

"Are you guys drunk?" Elena asked, chuckling.

_Like it wasn't obvious._

_"Er, maaaaybe. Why?" _Caroline slurred, giggling.

"I need a favor, Care," Elena said, her nerves beginning to kick in.

_"Shh! Bonnie, Elena's talking serious stuff!" _Elena rolled her eyes as the phone ruffled.

_"Tell her to stuff it!" _Bonnie shouted into the phone, and Elena quickly pulled the phone from her ear. She didn't want to lose her hearing.

"Care, please," Elena asked. If she wouldn't do this now, then she never would.

_"What is it? What can I help you with, missy?" _Caroline giggled.

Elena took a deep breath. _She owed him._

"I need to get ahold of Damon."

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	4. Three

**CHAPTER 3:**

_"I need to get ahold of Damon,"_

Elena waited nervously for Caroline to respond.

"Caroline?"

It had been a few minutes, or seemed to be, since Elena had asked for Damon's contact information.

_"What the hell did she just say?" _Bonnie whispered, and Elena wasn't entirely certain that she was meant to hear that.

_"She wants to reach Damon." _Caroline said, sounding confused.

Good, Caroline wasn't too drunk, and Elena didn't have to ask again. Even though she would've. Because she owed him.

_"Why?"_

"Caroline," Elena said, getting impatient._ Did Caroline know that she was still on the line?_

_"Yeah, sorry. I heard you,"_ Caroline replied.

"So can you help me?" Elena bit her lip._ Stay calm._

_"Yeah. I guess so."_

"Thank you," Elena sighed with relief.

_"I'll call you about it tomorrow or something," _Caroline hung up.

Elena stared at her phone.

_Did Caroline just hang up on her?_

Elena's mind was spinning. _What had she just done? _Why the _hell_ did she do that? Was she _insane?_

_Yes._

"God, I'm such an idiot," Elena put her head in her hands.

_There was no escaping this._

Deciding to sleep on it, Elena got up and changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed.

* * *

_Damon stood before Elena. Tears were rolling down her face._

_"Why the _hell _didn't you tell me?" he hissed._

_Elena was frozen in place by his aggressive tone._

_"I don't know, I just-" she whispered._

_"What? Panicked? Damn it, Elena. What the _hell_ is _wrong_ with you?" he snarled, and his blue eyes were ice cold, piercing her own._

_"Damon, listen to me, I can explain-" she pleaded, moving towards him._

_"Forget it," he scoffed, waving her off. "This is too much, Elena. I'm done. I should've never let you talk me into this. I _never_ in a _million_ years, thought that you-"_

_"Damon, please, it's not what you think-"_

_"I said _forget_ it, Elena,"_

_"No, Damon, _please,_ don't leave me-"_

_"What? Like you left me? I wouldn't be that cruel to you. Oh, now that I think about it, maybe some space between us will do you good. It's apparently been treating you well since you went three years without talking to me. What's another few months?" he shrugged._

_"I thought you understood," Elena whimpered._

_"Yeah, well, so did I," he shook his head. "But I'm _done _with you, Elena,"_

_No, she wasn't losing him. She needed him, now more than ever._

_"Please, Damon, I can't-"_

"Save_ it, Elena. You were just a lousy friend, and I don't even know _why_ I was friends with you in the first place. You ruined our friendship. You should've never walked home and gotten yourself in this mess. It's all your fault. You were so stupid."_

_All of the air left her body, and Elena felt her heart being shattered into a million pieces._

_"I'm_ done_, Elena," Damon said and he turned on his heel, walking away, leaving Elena alone once again._

I'm done, Elena, _he'd said._

I'm done.

* * *

Elena jolted awake, her chocolate hair matted and tangled in her face. She brushed it out of her face, and attempted to calm down her rapidly beating heart.

_What time was it?_

Elena looked at her alarm clock, which was resting on her night stand.

_It was 7:10._

_Damn. _Elena never woke up _this_ early. Only when she had nightmares, like she just did.

Elena put her head in her hands. She was so stupid. She shouldn't have called Caroline last night. Elena began to shake as she remembered her nightmare.

_It was so real._

Elena shook her head. Caroline would forget the conversation, no doubt. She was drunk, and judging from the things she was saying, she was _heavily_ drunk. Elena scoffed. _She didn't need to worry._ She wouldn't ever have to tell Damon, because Caroline would forget their conversation, and she would be off the hook.

_But what if she didn't forget?_

Elena swallowed. _She would cross that bridge_ if_ and _when_ she came to it._

Elena's phone pinged, and she reached for it. On the screen a new message appeared.

_**From Jeremy Gilbert: Call me. It's important.**_

Elena's brow furrowed. _What did Jeremy want? Why was she supposed to call him? What had happened?_

Instead of worrying, Elena got up out of bed and went to the kitchen. She walked over to the fridge and pulled out what she needed, and grabbed two slices of wheat bread and popped them into the toaster. Once they shot up, Elena grabbed them and pasted the peanut butter on one side, and jam on the other. In the cupboard above her, Elena reached for a plastic glass. Taking the milk that she had retrieved from the refrigerator, Elena poured herself a glass and then moved to her couch, and plopped down, turning on the TV.

It was some rerun of classic cartoons. Elena smiled. This was her regular Saturday Mornings: PB&J, and cartoons.

_She was such a kid._

In the back of her mind, Elena knew that she should call her brother. But she was worried about what he would say to her. Was it bad news? She didn't function well when she was worried. And if something_ had _happened, Elena couldn't tell.

_Only one way to find out_.

Knowing that she wasn't doing anybody any favors, Elena switched of the TV and reached for her phone, dialing Jeremy's number.

_"Elena,"_ Jeremy breathed down the phone.

"Hey, little brother," she smiled, trying to drown out the anxiety.

_Listen, Elena, I need a huge favor," _he said.

Elena frowned, but nodded, even though Jeremy couldn't see it.

"What is it, Jer?" she didn't attempt to hid the worry anymore.

_"I need a place to stay."_

Elena let out a sigh of relief. _Jeremy was okay._ _Nothing had happened to him, or Jenna._ Elena almost cried from relief.

"Oh," she giggled down into the phone. "You scared me. I thought that something had happened to you or Jenna,"

_"Oh, god, Elena, I'm sorry. No, everything's fine. I'm just remodeling my house, and I need a place to stay for a few weeks,"_

_Remodeling? Didn't that sort of thing only take a few days?_

"Are you taking a wrecking ball to your house?" Elena giggled. "Remodeling only takes a few days, Jer,"

Jeremy sighed. "_Yeah, actually, I am. I have an entire blue print for the new house, Elena, I'm so excited."_

Elena smiled. She was so happy for her brother. He went on to college to pursue a career in architecture. _He'd done it_, she thought.

"Wow, I'm so proud of you! Of course you can come stay here," she smiled so big that it almost hurt. It had been so long since she'd seen Jeremy. The last time that she'd seen him was for the birth, and then he had to fly back to Atlanta for school.

_"Thanks, sis,_" Jeremy said, letting out a breath that Elena didn't notice he was holding.

"When should I be expecting you?" She asked. Her house was clean, so she didn't have to worry about rearranging or cleaning anything. She was just so excited to see her little brother again.

_"Erm," _Jeremy paused nervously. _"Is tonight okay?"_

Elena nodded. "No problem. I'm looking forward to it," she smiled.

_"Great. I'll see you soon." _Jeremy told her.

"Bye, Jer," Taking the phone away from her ear, Elena pressed the 'end' button.

* * *

It was seven o' clock in the evening and Elena was waiting tables at The Rave. After her phone call with Jeremy, she had trouble with trying to find something to do around the house. So, giving up, she decided to go work some extra hours. It wouldn't kill her, and she could use the extra money.

"I wonder why we're so busy," Kol sighed as he leaned over the bar next to Elena, who was washing the countertop.

"I know, it's insane," she agreed. The Rave was a pretty popular hangout, but it was never _this _busy.

"Hey, Elena, I need you to fill in for Bree,"

Elena turned around to face Kol.

"She's not here?" she frowned.

Kol shook his head as he looked around. "Not that I know of. Her show's on in ten minutes, and I really don't want to cancel it."

Elena bit her lip. Bree was one of the four Exotic Pole Dancers at the club. That would mean she would have to take Bree's place, and dance around a pole in hardly any clothing, or deal with an angry Kol.

"Alright," Elena sighed. _It wouldn't kill her. Only her pride._

Kol's eyes lit up. "Wonderful. You can head on back to get ready,"

Elena handed the rag to Kol and came out from behind the bar. As she made her way to the dressing room, she heard a few whistles aimed at her, and felt her cheeks heat. Wrapping her arms over her grossly exposed chest, she continued to the fitting room.

"Elena, thank god."

Elena closed the door and turned to see Lexi, one of the other dancers smiling in the mirror as she applied mascara to her long eyelashes.

"Elena? What are you doing back here?" Another blonde woman walked in front of Elena, stopping her from moving. Her blue eyes were narrowed and clouded as she frowned.

"Kol needed me to fill in for Bree," she explained. She'd always liked Rebekah and Lexi. They were, like her, waitresses at first, but Kol saw their potential and promoted them to full-time dancers. Elena could've been a full time dancer, Kol made sure of that, but she didn't feel comfortable strutting around a pole on stage in glitzy, revealing two-pieces for a living.

"Oh, brilliant. I was so close to ripping that little ditching bitch Bree's head off. It's thanks to her that I was moved to the back." Rebekah snarled.

Elena blinked and took a step back subconsciously. _Damn, Rebekah could be scary._

"I'm just kidding, Elena," Rebekah laughed.

Elena nodded. She could never be sure with Rebekah. Elena had heard things about Rebekah that had frightened her, and she was close to telling the police.

_It was that bad._

"I'll be right back. I have to change," Elena held up her costume, blushing.

Rebekah and Lexi nodded, and as Elena entered one of the vacant cubicles, she saw Rebekah sit beside Lexi.

This outfit was worse than her usual one. This one was a one piece outfit that was some cross between a bikini and a corset. On the front, it was like a bikini, and the back looked like one piece, with rips trailing down her spine. It reminded Elena of some rich and expensive swimwear that only the playboy bunnies would wear.

Elena stepped out of the cubicle just as a brunette with short and spiky hair had closed the door.

"Okay, are we all ready to_-Elena?_" Rose, the main dancer, walked in with a clipboard. When she caught Elena's eye, she blinked. "Where's Bree?"

"I have no idea. Kol just asked me to fill in for her. That's all I know." Elena shrugged apologetically.

"She's probably with her loser boyfriend," Rebekah scoffed bitterly and Elena felt a pang of guilt for listening to them talk about Bree like that.

Rose nodded. "We'll make it work. You already know the routines?" She looked at Elena hopeful.

Elena nodded.

"Good," Rose walked over to the table and released the paper from the clipboard as she pinned it on the wall. "Let's get on stage,"

Elena felt as if her stomach was being squeezed as she got in line behind Rebekah. She was always nervous about doing shows, and she tried to avoid them at every turn. But Kol was desperate tonight.

"Ladies & Gentlemen," the intercom's dark and husky voice flooded the room, "Are you ready?"

Elena could hear the several whistles and cheers from the men behind the curtain. In the corner of her eye, Elena saw Rebekah primping her hair.

"Then please join me in welcoming to the stage the four beautiful women who plan on making things a little ..._ hotter_ in here,"

The velvet curtain raised, and the fluorescent lights stung Elena's eyes as she squinted. There were so many people, namely men. It sickened her that they enjoyed this. What sickened her the most was the fact that several of them wore golden bands on their left hands.

Elena walked up to Bree's spot and gripped the poll hard, waiting for the music to start.

As the techno music blasted, Elena strutted around her poll, moving her curvy hips in perfect sync with the beat of the drums. She sank to the floor, imitating a very seductive vixen, which _really _got the crowd going. She threw her head back, her long hair sweeping the floor as she bent into a bridge-like figure, and then pulled back up quickly, and began to appear to be climbing the pole. Elena looked around the room, smiling for once. Her smile was wiped from her face as quickly as it had come.

By the front door, cobalt blue eyes were piercing hers, and Elena felt like she was _literally_ going to melt from the intensity of his gaze.

_Oh, god._

Damon was _there,_ watching her prance around like some dominatrix vixen, which she was _not. _Her legs started to give out, and her head felt like it had contained a dozen bricks. She felt like she was on fire, and not in a good way. She bowed her head forward so fast and felt a rush of nausea as a result. Elena was about to collapse then and there, and If it hadn't been for the screams, she would have_._

First it was one ear-piercing shriek, and then multiple quickly followed.

She looked up through her brown locks, seeing people hastily retreating to the front door.

_What the hell was going on?_

Elena straightened up, looking around the building in panic. There was hardly anyone left in the club. She looked around for Damon, but didn't see him. Elena quickly ran back to the dressing room backstage and grabbed her navy hoodie, the one that she had gotten from her job, which advertised the club on the back.

There were distant echoes of sirens from all directions, and Elena panicked. _What had happened that had caused such a commotion?_

Elena darted from the dressing room and didn't stop until reached the main entrance. Elena whipped the front door open, and burst through it.

Her face was met with the bitter fall winds as she looked around. Emergency Cars were all over. Red, White and Blue lights flashed brilliantly. Elena walked around, searching for the source of the screaming, or better, Damon. Elena saw up ahead through the crowd, a white van that was labeled "EMT".

As Elena moved closer the the scene, a moth to a flame, the crowd got denser and Elena couldn't hear herself think over the murmurs of the crowd. She just got a clear vision when someone pulled her away.

"Damon?" Elena gasped, startled_. Thank god she'd found him._ "What's going on? What happened?"

Through the corner of her eyes, Elena saw Damon's jaw tense.

"I don't think you should see that," he advised cautiously as he led her further away from the scene.

Elena planted her feet on the ground, forcing Damon to turn around.

"Why? What happened?"

Damon's eyes drifted downward, and Elena felt his eyes roaming her body. She wrapped her arms around herself protectively and bit her lip. She had forgotten that she was nearly undressed.

Damon's eyes locked on Elena's.

"A body was found."

Elena gasped as her mouth fell open.

_"What? _Who was it?" Elena pressed, searching his face for the answer that she knew he wouldn't supply. His face was as blank as a new piece of paper.

After seconds passed without Damon showing any sign of responding, Elena snapped.

_"Damn it,_ Damon, who _was _it?" she demanded angrily.

_Silence._

Giving up on him, Elena scoffed, moving toward the front of the crowd, and this time, he didn't stop her.

Elena stopped when she came to the front of the crowd, right behind the yellow tape.

Her hand flew to her mouth as she gasped.

_It was Bree._

Elena felt her body go into autopilot as she wailed, and screamed. _No, Bree was _not _dead! She wouldn't believe it! She _couldn't!

"Elena!"

Elena whipped around just in time to see Rebekah and Lexi approaching her. Rebekah was, like her, in tears, her features squished together in anguish. Lexi, on the other hand, was on the verge of breaking down, her face ashen, as if she had just lost her best friend.

_She had._

"Rebekah," Elena choked in between her sobs, squeezing the life out of her friend.

Lexi joined in, and Elena felt her heart break all over again.

* * *

It had been forty-five minutes, and the scene was clearing up. The yellow restriction tape was still up, and there was still blood on the concrete floor where Bree's body was discovered. People were still gathered in groups, gossiping or mourning.

Elena sat on the hood of Lexi's silver convertible, Lexi's fur coat wrapped around her like a blanket. She was holding a cup of beer from the club. She took a sip, which had tasted awful, but drowned the whole cup.

_She needed to be drunk to deal with this._

"Don't drown yourself, Ellie," Lexi smiled weakly.

Elena smiled when she heard Lexi call her the Pet Name that Bree had given to her. Bree had given everyone of the waitresses Pet Names. Elena's was Ellie because Bree had said that Elena was a "noble, famous warrior with a shining light," And had reminded her of Ellie from the 1980's movie with the same title. And it had been a real nickname for the name Elena.

Elena frowned. Bree was gone. She couldn't believe it. The whole thing felt like it was not even a possibility. Bree was _so _kind to Elena when she'd just started at the club. Elena always covered for Bree, who was usually with her boyfriend who's name Elena couldn't remember. She had been the one who had kept pushing her and pushing her to be confident with herself, even though her efforts were wasted. The day that Elena would gain self-confidence was the day that she lived a different life.

"Elena,"

Elena looked up to see Damon approaching her.

"The cops are making everyone who doesn't know anything about the crime clear out," he told her.

Elena looked down at her empty cup, twirling it in her fingers.

"I need a minute," she said softly.

"I'll wait for you inside." Damon nodded and walked towards the club and out of earshot.

_"Damn,_ that is a fine ass," Lexi breathed, both of them watching Damon's retreating back. Elena smiled. _Damon the womanizer._ _He still had it._ "What is he doing here?" Lexi asked, still watching Damon.

"I don't know," Elena shook her head. "I was on stage dancing, then I looked up and saw him standing near the entrance. I have no idea why he came." she shrugged.

Lexi cleared her throat, and Elena looked over at her.

"What?" she asked, frowning.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Lexi sniffled, looking at Elena with confidence.

"What is?"

"He cares about you," Lexi said.

Elena nodded. "We were best friends until I ran away."

Lexi scoffed. "Oh, Elena, even_ you_ aren't _that_ oblivious,"

Elena winced. Why was Lexi acting like this?

"He _cares_ about you, Elena," Lexi nearly shouted. "In _that _way,"

Elena burst out laughing.

_That was preposterous._

"Why is that funny?" Lexi asked, and her tone made Elena feel guilty for laughing. Elena bit her lip to hide her smile.

"It's not. It's just...Damon caring about anyone in _that _way, let alone _me,_" Elena shook her head, hilarity forgotten. It was..."It's not possible, let alone logical," she sighed. _Why would Damon ever care bout her in that way?_

"And why not?" Lexi wondered. "After _all_ of the things that you've told me that Damon has done for you, after his conniption yesterday about you ignoring him for _three years_-"

Elena frowned, tossing her empty cup into a nearby trashcan.

"I can't do this," she hopped off the hood of the car, making a screeching noise as her bare skin had rubbed on the metal surface. "I'll see you later," Elena handed Lexi her coat and turned away before she could reply.

"You know I'm right, Elena," Lexi hollered as Elena walked away.

_Bull._

* * *

Elena entered the club. It was loud with more people who were discussing the accident. Some police officers were in there as well, questioning Kol.

"Hey," Damon said softly as he approached Elena.

"Sorry I took so long," she smiled apologetically.

"It's fine. We need to talk," he said softly, but Elena caught wind of his barely restrained frustration.

"Yes, we do." she agreed.

They headed outside of the bar, and Elena stumbled onto the ground.

Elena's face met the cold, hard concrete floor. Her brown hair was spread out in a mess, lying in a pile of water. Her knee was surely scrapped, she knew.

"Whoa, Elena," Damon said, quickly reaching to help her up.

"Thank you," She winced, but hoped that Damon hadn't noticed. He would have her checked into the ER immediately.

"No problem-"

"Wait."

Elena was halfway to her feet when her eye caught something that she could've sworn wasn't there before.

It was a piece of paper, soaked and ripped.

"What's wrong?"

Elena reached for it and unfolded it. And as she scanned the content, she felt the blood drain from her face.

**_Elena,_**

**_If you are reading this, then you know that your friend is dead. And she is just the first. I know your dark secret that you're so determined to keep hidden after three years. And if you tell anyone about this letter, you will have more than this poor girl's blood on your hands._**

"What is it, Elena?"

Damon's urgent voice sounded from some distant place in her memory.

_No. She didn't do it. She didn't kill her best friend. She knew she didn't._

But Elena saw the words on the paper. She saw the threat. She saw the hidden message.

Elena shook.

_Someone else knew about that night._

_And they were out for blood._

_Lexi's._

_Rebekah's._

_Rose's._

_Caroline's._

_Bonnie's._

_Damon's._

_Jeremy's._

_Hers._

_"Damn it,_ Elena," Damon hissed, ripping the paper from her hands. She was too shaken to notice or stop him. He scanned it quickly, and looked up at Elena in shock.

_She had no choice but to tell him. For his safety, and her own._

"Damon," she swallowed her hesitation. "I need to tell you something."

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	5. Four

**AN: **Hi, guys! I just wanted to take a moment to thank those who have reviewed this story as well as those who have favorited/followed it. I cannot thank you enough. This story would still be an imagination in my mind if it weren't for all of you! I apologize on the shortness of this chapter. I hope it's a good one, and I hope you all like it! You've all given great suggestions and I have a pretty clear vision of where I want to take this story, so once again, thank you SO much! I'll update soon!

**PS- Reviews REALLY encourage me to update more! :)**

* * *

**CHAPTER 4:**

"I_ need to tell you something,"_

Elena took a deep breath. Damon was regarding her angrily. It had been about a minute or two since Elena had said the words that would forever change her future. Telling Damon was a _huge _step for her. It was already hard enough to think about it, but let alone to _tell_ it was almost unreal.

_But she had no choice._

"Damon," Elena said, her voice softer then a mouse. She was so close to losing it. Each and every second of silence was like a loud gong beating on her nerves.

"Get in my car. You're coming with me," Damon snarled, and Elena flinched. _He was not to be argued with._

_But she did it anyway._

"Damon, I'm not leaving with you."

Damon shook his head as he smiled, but Elena noticed that it hadn't reached his eyes.

"Elena, if I have to drag you to my car, believe me, I _will,_"

Elena felt her blood run cold. _He wouldn't._

"Don't think for a _second_ that I'm bluffing, Elena."

When Elena said nothing, Damon's hand reached for Elena's arm.

"Damon, let _go_ of me." Elena grunted as she shook out of Damon's grip. _Since when did he become so aggressive? _Elena wondered vaguely.

"I'm not telling you anything if you're going to manhandle me again!" she hissed.

It was a lie, and she knew it. She would be selfish if she didn't tell him. Someone out there knew about that night, and she was slowly being backed into a corner, and if she didn't plot an escape plan soon, then she would never forgive herself for the price that she would surely have to pay.

Damon halted, causing Elena to nearly fall over.

"I wouldn't even _think_ about hurting you," he breathed angrily, and Elena's skin crawled as he pulled her close to his face. "It pisses me off that you think that I would_ intentionally_ hurt you."

Elena swallowed, daring to look into his fiery blue eyes. "Then please, let go of me, Damon,"

Damon just stood there, looking into her eyes, and she could've sworn that she saw a flash of guilt.

Elena was so overwhelmed by Damon's unpredictable behavior that she barely noticed that Damon had released his grip on her.

Elena rubbed her arm subconsciously. "Thank you," she breathed.

"Tell me," he snapped.

Elena blinked. She wasn't backing out. She just wasn't comfortable revealing such gruesome details in public. _She needed to find a more private location._

"Not here," she shook her head, and hugged herself in an attempt to stay warm.

"Then get in my car," he said sternly, and continued to walk towards the parking lot.

"Where are we going?" Elena asked as she ran to keep up with Damon's long strides.

"My house,"

Elena stopped walking._ No._ If she was alone with Damon at his house, with no ride home, then she would be stuck while he interrogated her about that night. _She needed more assurance._

"No."

Damon turned around, frowning. "Elena, you can't get more private than that,"

An idea popped in Elena's head.

"I know where we can go."

* * *

Elena sat in the passenger side of Damon's baby blue Camaro, staring out window at the black night. Stars were visible, and she felt that she could look at them forever.

"We're here," Damon said as he pulled into a parking space.

_Already?_

Elena got out of the car in a flash, her nerves kicking into overdrive. She wrapped her black wool coat tighter around herself, but she still felt cold. Elena wasn't sure if she was really cold, or it was just her nerves.

Elena looked around. They were at Maymont Park, a park that was located about ten minutes from Richmond, near where her friend Meredith Fell lived. It was a beautiful park. There was a playground, a couple of tennis courts, and a basketball court. There was also a baseball field a ways out into the grass field that spread in one direction for ages. Meredith had taken her son here occasionally.

Elena stepped up into the grass, her boots squeaking as she and Damon wandered over to a picnic table. Elena sat down first, followed by Damon.

"Why did you chose this place? It's in the middle of nowhere." Damon looked around.

"I chose it because I like to come here," she said simply, smiling._ It was one of her favorite places in the world._

"Okay. Now, let's get on with this," Damon cleared his throat as Elena saw him reach into his pocket and lay a piece of paper onto the table.

Elena's stomach churned.

_It was the note._

"What the _hell_ are you doing with that?" She recoiled in fear, jumping up from the table.

"I wasn't going to leave it," he scoffed.

"That is _criminal evidence,_ Damon! You could get_ arrested_ for stealing it!" she shrieked.

"No, because I am going to burn it the second that we are done discussing it."

Elena swallowed. Elena looked around, for what, she didn't know.

"Damn it, stop trying to stall, Elena." Damon hissed.

"I'm not stalling," Elena said quietly.

"Then _tell_ me what this note is referring to," he demanded, standing up with the note in hand as he walked over to her.

Elena took a deep breath.

_This was it. Once she crossed this line, there was _no _crossing back._

"On my way home from prom, I-"

Elena squeezed her eyes shut. _Breathe, Elena, Breathe._

"I was raped."

* * *

When Elena opened her eyes, she saw Damon's crestfallen expression. He had stared at her for seconds, minutes, hours, maybe days.

_It was so uncomfortable_. She wanted to hide. _It was embarrassing_. She was so embarrassed.

"You were_ what?_" Damon breathed, his voice colder than the devil's heart.

"I was...raped that night," Elena swallowed as she blinked rapidly. She couldn't stand saying the word again.

"Damn it, Elena!" Damon shouted, turning back and knocking a trash can onto the ground, a loud crashing noise resulting. "Why the _fuck_ didn't you tell me?"

"Damon, please calm down, you're scaring me," Elena murmured. Damon frightened her when he was angry. He always had. Especially when, like tonight, it was directed at her.

_"Calm down?"_ He snarled. "You're telling me to calm the fuck _down?_ Elena, you were fucking_ raped_ for Christ's sake!"

Elena flinched, her eyes watering. Damon saying it made it that much more real.

"Damon, I-"

"It's all my fault," he whispered, then looked up at her. "It's all my fault!"

Elena shook her head. "No, Damon, it isn't-"

"Of _course_ it is!" He shouted. "I should've dragged your ass into my car that night," he shook his head in exasperation.

_Damon, don't blame yourself,_ Elena pleaded.

"Who was it?" Damon asked, his eyes wide.

Elena frowned. "I don't know," she whispered.

"Bullshit," Damon scoffed. "I'm supposed to believe that? You kept this _entire_ secret of yours from me for _three years,_ and I'm just supposed to _believe_ you when you say that you don't know who it _was?"_

"Yes," Elena nodded, frantic. "Damon, it was too dark, and I was too scared! I didn't think to pay attention to details!"

Damon rolled his eyes. "That's what _I_ would've done. That sleezeball was committing a _crime_ for god's sake, Elena. You could've gone to the police and had him caught and thrown in jail!"

Elena bit her lip. _She hadn't thought of that. She hadn't thought of much afterwards. She was too scared._

"Is he the guy who wrote this?" Damon snatched the note from the table.

Elena shook her head. "How would I know?"

"I have no idea. Who else would write this?"

"That's exactly what I want to know," she said dryly.

"And they're threatening to go on a killing spree if you told anyone?" Damon scoffed. "How the hell would they know if you told anyone?"

Elena shrugged. "I don't_ know,_ Damon." She was beginning to get irritated._ She knew as much as he did._

Damon looked back down at the note.

"Who else would send you this note?"

Elena shrugged, while staring at the floor as she closed her eyes.

"Jesus, you're lucky that you didn't end up pregnant." Damon spat, shaking his head in disgust.

Elena's eyes shot open.

_Oh, no._

_This was going to send him over the deep end. _She knew it.

_"Elena_," Damon spoke softly.

She looked up at him, and the look in his desperate eyes made her wish that she hadn't.

Elena blinked.

_"Tell_ me that you didn't end up pregnant," he shook his head. All Elena did was swallow and blink.

"God, Elena, of _all_ the things that I want you to do right now_, tell_ me that you didn't end up pregnant,"

Elena froze. _She didn't want to tell him about this, not yet. _It was too much for Damon to handle at once.

"No, Elena," Damon whispered, shaking his head sadly. "Not that. _Anything_ but that."

Elena swallowed.

"I was...it was my first time, and I hadn't been on any type of contraception," Elena admitted. She hadn't been introduced to that sort of thing yet at the time.

"He stole your _virginity_?" Damon gasped.

God, this was awkward and embarrassing. _Please could she just die right now?_

Elena remained silent.

"Did you terminate the pregnancy?" Damon asked, and his voice was soft for the first time since they had arrived at the park.

Elena's heart ached._ Damon thought that she was capable of doing that?_ She thought he knew her better than that.

"What made you think that I had an abortion?" She wondered, trying to mask the hurt that blossomed in her heart.

Damon's eyes widened. "You went though with the pregnancy?"

Elena nodded.

Damon looked even_ more_ devastated, if possible.

"Did you keep it?"

Elena swallowed. _This was getting too heavy. _She had only mentally prepared herself for the conversation about the events after prom, not the after-effects.

"No, I didn't keep him," she said so softly that she wasn't certain whether or not Damon had heard her.

"You had a son?" Damon blinked. "When was he born? What did you name him?"

Elena studied Damon's face and saw that it had sincere curiosity written over it.

She inhaled. "December 28 that year. And no, I didn't name him."

Damon ran a hand through his hair. He seemed to be cooling down, thankfully, because she could hardly survive this emotional conversation, and if Damon was still yelling at her, then she definitely wouldn't have walked away alive.

"I'm_ so_ sorry, Elena. This is_ all_ my fault. This all happened to you because of me. _Jesus, _you were-" he laughed bitterly, running a hand through his hair again.

"Why didn't you terminate the pregnancy?" he asked quietly.

Elena swallowed.

"Because I don't believe in abortion."

"But, it was- You didn't want the baby. This asshole, he-" Damon frowned.

Elena took a deep breath. "Just because I became pregnant with a baby that I hadn't planned on having didn't mean that I was going to harm an innocent child, Damon. He was my son." She defended.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply-" Damon stopped.

"I know that you didn't, it's just hard for me to talk about all of this." She admitted.

"No, I understand." Damon said.

"I just wish that I had known," he said sadly. "I could've been there for you,"

Elena sighed. "I was too scared and hurt to allow anyone to be there for me." She explained. Well, Caroline and Bonnie were the only exception.

"That's why you ran. Because you were afraid," he said.

"Yes and no," Elena sighed. "I ran away because I needed to start over in a place that didn't hold the physical memories," she told him. "Even if you and everyone knew at the time, I still would've wanted to move away. I needed a fresh start, Damon, and Richmond offered that to me."

"That explains the job. You needed to support yourself. You didn't finish high school, so college wasn't even an _option_ for you," he frowned.

"Not exactly. Before I left, I met with someone who helped me out financially. I just worked there to get extra cash that I used for bills. And after everything with the pregnancy, I had became friends with the girls at the club and couldn't find myself wanting to leave."

Just as Damon was going to say something, Elena's phone rang, breaking the tension and her worry. She dug it out from her coat pocket and answered it without checking the number.

"Hello?" Elena gasped, looking at her phone.

_"Elena? I'm at your house, and I'm locked out,"_

"Oh, god," Elena's hand flew to her mouth.

"What is it?" Damon asked, examining Elena's face.

"Jeremy," she breathed, "I_ totally _forgot, he's arriving tonight to stay with me for a few weeks, and he's at my house right now trying to get in."

Damon winced. "You're still staying at your house after some psychopathic stalker just sent you a blackmail note?"

"Yes," Elena scoffed. In truth, she was scared out of her mind. But she wasn't going to tell Damon that. "Damon, don't be ridiculous. I don't know who this person is, let alone how serious they are,"

"But they sure seem to know your name for starters, and I wouldn't be surprised if they also knew your address and phone number. And are you _seriously _going to chance underestimating this person?"

"Yes." Elena said defiantly. She _wasn't _backing down on this.

"Could you please drive me home so I can let my brother in?" she asked.

* * *

Reluctantly, Damon had driven Elena home, in silence, and by the time they had arrived at her house, Elena didn't see Jeremy and began to worry.

"I thought you said he was here," Damon snapped.

"I did." Elena ignored his attitude as she hopped out of the car. "You can go," Elena waved to him.

"I'm not leaving until I know your safe," he said.

Knowing that Damon was still torturing himself over that, she decided to let him sit there as she walked up the steps.

"Jeremy?"

It was eerily quiet, and suddenly, Elena was glad that Damon was parked out front.

A rattling noise came from behind the house and Elena felt her skin chill.

"Jer?" Elena asked hesitantly as she walked around the house.

Looking around, Elena saw nothing.

Another rattling noise appeared, louder than the first, and Elena gasped.

"Elena,"

Elena whipped around, meeting the face of her little brother, who was laughing.

"Jeez, Jeremy!" Elena whimpered, smacking him on the arm. "What the _hell _is wrong with you? Don't_ ever _do that to me again!"

Jeremy smiled, still laughing. "Aw, come on, sis. Have a sense of humor,"

Elena scoffed. "Oh, I have a sense of humor, I just don't like people sneaking up on me," Elena murmured, her mind unintentionally conjuring up unwanted memories.

"I know," Jeremy apologized, "I'm sorry. I understand,"

"Thank you," Elena nodded, and then remembered that Damon was probably still sitting out front.

_Probably? Try definitely._

"Oh, I'll be right back," Elena told him and turned around toward the front of the house and started running.

"Where are you going?"

"Damon's dropped me off and wanted to make sure I found you before he left."

Jeremy frowned. "Damon's in Richmond? Why?"

Elena paused. She never asked Damon that. She didn't know anything about her friend for three years. He knew everything about her now. _Well, eveything that was a result of that night._

"I don't know," Elena shrugged.

"Wait," Jeremy said, running to catch up with her. "I wanna come say hi,"

"Okay," Elena frowned. Damon and Jeremy had never been friends. Why did Jer want to say hi to him?

_She was being paranoid._

Elena spotted the blue Camaro in the street and walked toward it, and Damon rolled down her window as she approached his car.

"Hey," she leaned into the window. "Found Jeremy," Elena joked, motioning behind her.

"Jeremy?" Damon looked at him. "What's up, man?"

"Nothing much. Just staying with Elena for a few weeks."

"Oh?"

"I'm tearing down my house and rebuilding it," Jeremy told him excitedly.

"Oh, wow. Cool," Damon smiled.

"Yeah, it is. What are you doing in Richmond?" Jeremy asked.

Damon didn't answer immediately. "I'm moving down here."

_What?_

Elena's mouth fell open. Damon never said anything about that. _Why the hell was he moving here?_ Elena didn't like the idea one bit.

"Oh, fun," Jeremy said.

"Hey, thanks again for the ride, Damon," Elena smiled at him, leaning away from the car.

"No problem." he nodded. "Call me if you need anything, Elena," He said sternly, and Elena hoped that Jeremy didn't catch the last part.

"I will. Thanks."

Damon waved and Jeremy returned his gesture, and Elena watched him leave until she couldn't see his tail lights anymore.

"So what's up with you and him?"

Elena turned to see Jeremy giving her a suspicious look, and Elena immediately scoffed.

"It's not like that, Jer. And I don't really want to talk about it."

"Okay," Jeremy put his hands up in surrender. "I'm just sayin'-"

"Jer," Elena snapped, shooting him an angry look.

"Right," he nodded.

"Let's go get you settled in." Elena told him as they climbed the steps to the porch.

"Thanks again for letting me stay here," Jeremy smiled as Elena dug out her keys.

"Yeah, No problem," Elena pushed her front door open and flicked the lights on.

"I'll just go get some dinner started. You hungry?" Elena asked as she shrugged her coat off and hung it on the rack.

"Yeah, starved," Jeremy rubbed his stomach and Elena giggled.

"Anything in particular sound good?"

Jeremy shrugged as he headed to the stairs. "Doesn't matter,"

"Okay," Elena nodded. "I'll let you know when it's done."

Jeremy nodded and headed upstairs.

"Jer?"

Jeremy was almost up the stairs when he stopped and turned around. "Yeah?"

Elena smiled at him. "I'm really glad you're here,"

Jeremy stared at her for a few seconds, then replied.

"So am I,"

As Jeremy continued up the stairs, Elena headed into the kitchen. When she had sat down at the table for a moment, Elena's head pounded and she was overflowing with emotions. She couldn't believe that she had survived her and Damon's conversation. She was so sure that she would break. And just when she decided to get up and get dinner started, Elena felt her heart ache. Not everything tonight had been good.

Her friend was ...gone. And someone was blackmailing her. Who the hell could that be? Who else could _possibly _know about that night? Elena sighed.

_She had no idea._

Elena decided the best thing to to do was to stop thinking about the events of today, so she turned on the TV in the kitchen.

Some guy was blabbing on the TV about weather and when Elena had picked up the remote to change it, she saw an image flash across the screen. It was a picture of Maymount Park. She and Damon had just been there not thirty minutes ago. But when she read the caption, Elena froze.

_BREAKING NEWS: Maymont Park Up In Flames-Accident or Arson?_

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	6. Five

**CHAPTER 5:**

Elena stared at the flashing image on the monitor in horror. A mass of flames danced around the screen, swallowing up Maymount Park violently.

Elena reached for the remote and turned the volume up.

"...but reports from local residents are coming in that they saw the park go up in flames around eight o' clock this evening. No one yet knows how or why this has occurred, but police are convinced that it was Arson."

Elena clamped her hand to her mouth, her eyes widening. She and Damon had visited the park just around 7:30 and left within ten minutes. It had something to do with her. There was _no way _that it was simply a coincidence that the park that she and Damon had visited not half an hour ago was now up in flames. Someone had been there after them, and that someone had set this fire intentionally.

Elena shook her head as she switched the volume off. She didn't know what to think. On one hand, Elena was _sure _that in some way, shape, or form, this was _no_ coincidence, and might very well be connected to the note that she and Damon found. But on the other hand, Elena felt that she was just being paranoid for thinking that _every_ bad thing that happens that is connected to her is automatically connected to the note.

But if it _was _connected to the note, then how would they know _exactly _where she and Damon were? Elena froze, her blood running cold as she realized the only possible explanation.

_Had someone been watching them?_

_Did someone know that she told Damon?_

Elena's thoughts were shattered as she heard a timer go off in the distance.

She spun around immediately, snatching the pot of _al dente _spaghetti from the burning surface of the stove.

"Jeremy, dinner!" Elena hollered, her voice a shaky earthquake. _Keep calm, _Elena told herself as she poured the string-like noodles into the platinum colander over the sink. A cloud of steam rose into the air, splashing heat into her face.

Elena heard the stairs rumble as she reached into the top cupboard and grabbed a pair of cherry colored ceramic bowls.

"What's for dinner?" Jeremy wandered into the room as she closed the cupboard.

"Spaghetti. I hope that's okay. I haven't been able to get to the grocery in the last few days," she said apologetically. She had been too caught up in the whirlwind of events that were set off the moment that Damon walked back into her life.

"Oh, no worries. I'm just starving," Jeremy settled into a seat at the table and immediately dug in.

"So how's sch-?"

"Hold on, turn the volume up." he said urgently.

Elena turned toward the TV, and remembered that the news of the fire was still running.

She mentally kicked herself._ Why hadn't she turned the monitor off, or at least change the channel?_

"...and in other news, earlier this evening, Maymount Park exploded in flames. No one knows for sure _how _or _why _the fire came about, but the police have yet to confirm if it was in fact arson."

Elena let out a sigh of relief. _There was no evidence that it was arson. She may have been wrong. It could've been some freak coincidence._

"Holy crap," Jeremy breathed as he gawked at the TV in awe. "Who the hell would do something like that?"

Elena swallowed. _She wanted to know that, too._

"I have no idea," she shrugged as she twirled a mass of noodles around her fork.

"God, some people are mad." Jeremy scoffed as he poked around at his plate.

_You have no idea._

"Yeah," Elena muttered in agreement.

"Wait, doesn't your friend live in Maymont? Marilyn or something?" Jeremy asked hesitantly as he narrowed his eyes at Elena in uncertainty.

Elena's eyes widened. She had_ completely_ forgotten about Meredith. She was so enraptured in the background of the fire that she had not remembered that Meredith and her family lived near the park.

"Meredith. And yes, she does. She lives on the opposite side of town, though,"

"Oh,"Jeremy nodded as he scooted back and stood up to throw his dishes in the sink.

"Did you get enough?" Elena asked, thankful to change the subject.

"Yeah, I actually think I had _too _much," he laughed. "Thanks, again,"

"No problem, Jer. Goodnight."

Elena watched Jeremy's retreating back as he disappeared from the room. Once he went out of view, Elena got up tossed her dishes into the sink with Jeremy's as she yawned. Elena wandered over to the door frame and switched off the lights.

* * *

The loud ear-piercing resonated through the room as Elena's eyes shot open.

"What the hell?" she hissed, eyeing her phone with hatred. _Who the hell could be calling her at... 9:00?_ She glanced at the screen, and when she saw the Caller ID, she moaned and fell back against the mattress in frustration.

_Of course it was Caroline._

Elena held the vibrating phone in her hand, debating whether or not to answer it.

She decided to let it go. Whatever Caroline had to say could wait an hour or four.

Lying back in bed, Elena rubbed her eyes. It was too early for her to be up. Just as Elena's eyelids closed, another chime came.

_Alright,_ Elena shot up as she snatched the phone. If_ one_ other person was disrupting her sleep, she would lose it.

**NEW VOICEMAIL FROM: CAROLINE**

Knowing that she might as well listen to the voicemail, Elena slid the unlock button on her phone and played it.

_"Elena Marie Gilbert! _Don't_ think I don't know that you ignored my call! I've known you for fifteen years. I can read you like a book! Anyway, what I _really_ called for was to wish you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I _cannot _believe that you're twenty-one! Officially old enough to _legally _drink! Bonnie may have already gotten ahold of you, but I wouldn't be surprised if you ignored_ her_ call, too. We're taking you out to an awesome club tonight, and I don't care what you say, _you're going! _See you later!" _

Elena hung up the phone scowling. _Oh, Caroline. Crazy, thoughtful, yet demanding Caroline. Leave it to her to boss her around, even on her birthday._

Elena pulled up a new message and typed a response. She wasn't in the mood to call her back.

**Got your message. Trying to go back to sleep. As long as it's not too far, I'm in. Thanks, Care :)**

Almost immediately, her phone buzzed.

**Caroline: Okey Dokey! :)**

As she went to set her phone down, another chime sounded.

**Bonnie: HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIRL! :) 3 YOU! **

Elena was hardly done reading Bonnie's text when another chime rang.

**Lexi: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ELLIE!**

And another.

**Rebekah: Happy Birthday, dance buddy :) **

And_ another._

**Kol: Take the day off, Elena. You deserve it! Happy 21st!**

That wasn't surprising. Kol was letting Elena have the day off. Neither of the other employees got their birthdays off.

And the last thing that Elena saw flash across the screen was from a number that she did not recognize.

**Unknown: Elena. Can you do lunch? Call me.**

_Who the hell was that?_

Elena's phone vibrated obnoxiously, startling her. The same number appeared on her screen. Without thinking, Elena answered it.

"Who the hell is this?" Elena spat into the phone. She hadn't meant to be so agressive, she just wanted to go back to bed.

"Whoa, easy there, birthday girl,"

Elena's eyebrows shot up. "Damon? How-How did you get my number?" she asked, but had a hunch.

"Caroline gave it to me." _Of course Caroline had. "_Don't be mad at her, I asked her. Did you get my message?"

Elena bit her lip.

"Message?"

Damon chuckled. "In all the years that I've known you Elena, you are either a _really_ convincing liar, or you are a hopeless one."

Elena flinched. Surely Damon didn't mean it to be insulting, but it still hurt a little.

"And I'm on...?" she wondered.

"The hopeless case side," he said dryly.

"So can you do lunch? I want to do something for your birthday."

"You remembered?" Her eyebrows shot up. This threw Elena off. _Damon remembered her birthday?_ They hadn't spoken in three years, and he remembered?

"Of course I did. I've known you for ten years. It's _kind of _hard to forget when your best friend's birthday is,"

Elena understood. Every year when Damon's birthday came, she couldn't forget that it was his birthday. It was impossible to forget.

"Well, when you put it that way," she grinned. _What harm could lunch with an old friend do?_

"I take it that's a 'yes'." Elena heard his smirk.

Biting her lip, she replied. "I'm sure I could fit you in,"

"Great. I'll pick you up at 11." Damon told her.

"I'll be waiting,"

"Happy birthday, Elena,"

"Thanks," She smiled and hung up.

Looking at her clock, Elena got up. She had time, but not too much time. She needed to get ready. No telling where Damon would take her.

* * *

It was 10:55 and Elena was sitting on her couch flipping through the channels. The coverage of the Maymont Park fire was still being broadcast. She wanted to listen to it for updates, but she couldn't get riled up when she was seeing Damon so soon. If he noticed that she was offbeat, he'd hastle her until she'd tell him, and that would be a great birthday.

"Morning. Where are you headed off to so early?"

Elena spun around to see Jeremy sporting bed-head, yawning as he walked into the room.

_Morning? Early? It was nearly 11._ Elena remembered that Jeremy had always been the last one to wake up on a weekend.

"Er, I'm going out to lunch with Caroline," she lied.

Why was she lying? Because Jeremy would be questioning her about her lunch date with Damon. _Date? _Lunch outing. _There, that sounded better. _Elena vaguely wondered if she had been successful at lying this desperate time, or if she was a hopeless case. _He was joking!_

Before Jeremy could reply, Damon's horn came faintly from outside.

"Well, you're going to be late," he said as he wandered into the kitchen.

"Yeah, I should go," she said as she glanced at her phone, which had vibrated while she was talking to Jeremy.

** Damon Salvatore: Here. Hurry, reservations.**

Elena's heart sank. She didn't want to go to a fancy restaurant. She wasn't that girl. She would've been satisfied with just a dine in/take out five-minute deal joint. But Damon, growing up in a rich household, was more high maintenance than she was. Thankfully, she was wearing a black skirt that hugged her waist as it climbed up her stomach to her ribcage. Her silk purple blouse was fancy enough for wherever Damon was planning on taking her. Her chocolate locks fell in waves down her back, to the top of her skirt, which was midway down her back. All she just had to change her flip-flops to heels.

"Oh, there's some cereal in the pantry near the trash can," Elena hollered.

"Found it, thanks," Jeremy called back.

_Here goes nothing_, Elena inhaled nervously as she kicked off her violet sandals and grabbed her black wedges. Once she was all ready, Elena swung the wooden door open.

"Oh, Elena," Elena turned to see Jeremy's head peek around the corner.

"Yeah?"

"Happy Birthday," He smiled.

"Thank you," Elena nodded as she pushed the second door open, which was squeaking. "I'll see you later,"

Elena hastily walked out to Damon's car in hopes of Jeremy not seeing. _God, she was so nervous that Jeremy would see them together._ Elena felt like she was some famous A-lister trying to dodge the paparazzi.

As Elena approached the car, she began to hear some type of pounding sound.

"Hey," Elena had said, but it was drowned out by the rock music that flooded out of the car when she opened the door.

"Happy Birthday," Damon greeted as he turned down the radio.

"Thanks," Elena smiled as she shut the door and reached for the safety belt. "So, where are we going?" she asked as she looked up at him.

Damon smirked, revealing his white teeth. "It's a suprise," he winked.

_Oh, she hated surprises. _But seeing as Damon was in a pretty good mood, Elena didn't protest.

* * *

It was a pretty quiet ride, filled with small talk and rock music lingering in the background. Elena looked out the window at the aqua sky. It was such a beautiful day. The assortment of trees and houses passed through the window, and Elena turned to Damon.

"Where's the button to roll down the window?"

Damon didn't answer as he took a hand off of the wheel and pressed a button.

Elena whipped back to the window, which was lowering.

"Ah!" She giggled she was hit with a gust of her chocolate locks.

"Careful," Damon laughed, looking over at her for a second.

"It's so windy!" She shouted over the harsh whispers of the wind that were filling the car.

"Then close the window," Damon suggested as he laughed.

"No, I didn't say I didn't like it!" Elena replied as she smirked. Slowly, and carefully, Elena tilted her arm out the window.

"What are you doing?" Damon asked.

"Having fun!" she shrieked joyfully.

This was the first time in a _very _long time that Elena felt free. She felt her worries fly out the window with her hair that was waving in the wind.

"You're such a girl," Elena heard Damon say, but she shook her head as she smiled. _He wouldn't understand._

The wind calmed down as Elena felt the car slow down and come to a stop.

"We're here," Damon said softly.

Elena, her hair a wild mess, turned to face Damon.

"Where are we?"

Damon smiled and Elena saw something like excitement gleam in his eyes.

"Olive Garden,"

Elena gasped. Olive Garden was her _favorite_ restaurant. She had never found the time to go, unfortunately. With her work schedule, she was hardly able to go anywhere. Even in her free time, Elena didn't really want to spend the money, despite her decent amount of cash.

Excitedly, she climbed out of the car.

"Ready?" Damon asked her when she stood by him.

Too excited to speak, Elena nodded enthusiastically, Damon laughing as a result.

The two of them headed into the restaurant, and Elena thought to herself, _This won't be so bad. _

Damon wouldn't allow that.

* * *

"So, what have you been up to?" Elena sat across from Damon in a booth. She took a loud sip of her water. She honestly was curious at how her best friend had gotten on with life. "What ever happened to Katherine?"

The moment those words escaped Elena's mouth, she regretted them. _Way to go._ _Strike One._

Damon frowned. "What about her?"

Elena mirrored his expression. "Are you still..?"

Damon shook his head as he picked at the cuff links to his blazer.

"Not since prom." He looked up into Elena's eyes. "She was too much for me. She wasn't with me for the same reasons that I was with her."

_In what way? _Elena wondered. She had always known that he and Katherine had an...interesting history. He wanted what all guys wanted, and she had thought that Katherine was the same. But as Damon said that, and as Elena remembered how Damon had _literally _chased Katherine all throughout high school, she really began to wonder _just _how much he had cared about Katherine. She would've questioned him further, but could see that Katherine was a touchy subject. "How about the rest of high school?" Elena wondered.

"Well, after graduation," Damon cleared his throat.

Elena's and shot to her mouth in realization._Oh, god._ She had missed her high school graduation. _And that meant the world to Damon. _God, Elena was choosing the wrong prompts.

_Was this strike two?_

He wanted to get out of his house. His father and his stepmother were getting on his last straw. And he wanted so hard to leave mystic Falls forever. That's what he told Elena so many times. When the topic of graduation came up one day, he told her that they were going to be up on that stage together, getting their high school diplomas together. They had even planned to the same college together. _All of that had fallen through the cracks when she had ran away._

Elena felt like a horrible friend for forgetting that.

_Definitely strike two._

"Oh, Damon," she clamped a hand to her mouth, tears threatening. "I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you. I know how important graduation was to you," she looked down at her fingers, nervously twiddling her thumbs.

"It's okay. I understand now," Elena looked up to see Damon give her a sympathetic look. She had momentarily forgotten that Damon knew _why _she wasn't there.

"After graduation, Dad got sick." Damon shifted in his seat.

"Sick?" Elena asked, frowning.

"He was diagnosed with lung cancer," Damon cleared his throat.

Oh, _god, _had she been a shitty friend. She was so focused and consumed by her own problems that she didn't even bother to find out, or care that her best friend was hurting just as much as she was, maybe worse. She wanted to reach for Damon's hand, to comfort him, but Damon was very well at closing his walls, and the minute he knew he was letting them down, he would put them up again.

"Don't you do that." Damon shook his head.

Elena frowned. "Do what?" _Feel sorry for being such a terrible friend?_ That was never going to go away.

"Don't give me your pity. I don't want it,"

Elena flinched._ Damon, you need someone, _she thought sympathetically.

_So close to strike three._

"What about College?" She asked, trying to revive some of the casual atmosphere that was stolen a few moments ago. She didn't want a third strike.

"College was out of the question with Dad sick." Damon said. "But you knew that he practically threw me into these business classes from birth so I could take over the company."

Elena remembered. Every summer, Damon had to leave the day after school got out to a business camp that his father had forced him into. Damon's family was a rich family, owners of Salvatore Corporation. That was the thing. Damon had _all_ the money in the world, but he_ never_ was happy in that house.

"So that's what you did. Take over the company?" Elena asked despite knowing the answer. She wanted to keep the atmosphere light.

"Yeah. I hadn't gone to college, so I didn't really know how to do anything else, let alone make a living from it, so I did the family plan."

Elena smiled. _Her best friend still had wit. _

"So, your _Damon Salvatore, CEO of Salvatore Corp," _Elena smirked.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Any special woman in your life?"

Elena had held her breath. If this was going to go anywhere, it was going to go _straight _to Strike Three.

"No, there was one girl, but things didn't work out,"

_Huh._ Damon was surprising her at every turn.

"Oh?"

"She wanted ... What I couldn't offer her." He said dismissively.

_Easy, Elena._

"Okay, we have the fettuccini?" A man with honey colored hair interrupted, thankfully. Damon was beginning to look uncomfortable. It made Elena want to stop quizzing him, so the timing was perfect.

"Me," Damon said, and the waiter handed him the delicious looking dish that made Elena's mouth water.

"Hungry?" he looked up at her with a grin.

Elena looked up at Damon. His eyes were bluer than she remembered. She was too busy arguing with him at Caroline's party as well as last night to notice. _Both were at night, _she remembered._ It was too dark to see them properly._

"Yeah," she giggled.

"And the spaghetti with meat sauce?" the blonde man looked at Elena with a look that made her flush.

"Yep," she smiled, and made room for the plate.

"Would you like some Parmesan cheese?"

Elena nodded, licking her lips.

Damon cleared his throat.

"Tell me when to stop,"

The waiter took the grater and shredded cheese onto Elena's plate, over the marinara sauce.

"That's good, thank you." Elena held her hand up, and the waiter removed the cheese.

"Would you like anything else?" he looked between them.

Elena looked up at the waiter, who was looking at her like... like she was some meal. It freaked her out.

"No, thank you," Damon said harshly, and the waiter excused himself.

Elena was relieved that the waiter was gone, and she resumed to look at Damon.

"Thank you," she said.

"No problem. The guy was being a creep." he scoffed as he took a bite of his food.

"No," Elena shook her head. "I'm talking about the food," she giggled, doing the same.

"Oh," Damon frowned. "Yeah, you're welcome,"

"But, yes thank you for that as well," She smiled warmly at him.

She missed this familiarity that she used to have Damon. They used to go out for breakfast every Sunday to Perkins. It was her favorite breakfast place. She hoped that they could get some of that back.

"So, how about you?" Damon asked as he took a bite of his dish.

"Hmm?" Elena looked at him, confused.

"Any special guys? What about that boss of yours?" Damon's voice went cold as he mentioned Kol, but Elena ignored it.

"What about him? He's my _boss,_ Damon. I wouldn't cross that line." She told him. _This wasn't some cheesy soap. _

"And other than him, no. There's No other guys. Unless you count the creeps at the club," she smiled, but realized her joke was poor.

"Yeah, about that. Why do you still work there?"

"The money," she said, and it was the truth. Kol paid well. And she was only a waitress. The money when she was a _dancer, _however...

"A writer gets more money. Why didn't you go into writing?" Damon asked.

Elena bit her lip. "I didn't go to college either," she said carefully.

"You do that more," Damon said.

Elena blinked. "Do what?"

Damon's eyes narrowed in confusion. "That lip thing. I remember it was a nervous habit you used to have. Now you do it all the time."

_Had she?_ "I wasn't aware of it," she frowned.

"So, college was not in your cards either."

"No, I didn't even graduate," Elena sighed. She couldn't go anywhere without a diploma. That was another reason for choosing to do what she did.

_Damon knows all of this now, _she realized as she thought of her job. _Why was he acting like he didn't?_

"Well, aren't we a pair?"

Elena looked up. Damon was smirking.

"What?" Was he laughing at her?

"You're doing it," he told her.

"Sorry," she said, releasing her lower lip.

"Don't apologize," he said, "I like it. It reminds me of the old you,"

_The old her. _Damon was still hung on the fragile, innocent girl that he knew. She had to find a way to show him that she wasn't that girl anymore, but also while showing him that she hasn't changed completely.

_God, this was going to tricky._

"Right, the old me." Elena began twiddling her thumbs again. Was that another nervous habit? She had already been called out on the lip biting, she wasn't about to be called out on the thumb twiddling.

"Damon," Elena said, "I don't think-"

_"Damon?" _

Elena turned, and saw a tall blonde woman staring at Damon.

"Andie," he chuckled, but Elena could've sworn that she heard something that was not even close to amusement laced in his voice. She couldn't pick it out, though.

"_Oh, my god_, I can't believe it's you," she giggled, and Elena felt like she was intruding on something private.

"I'll give you two a minute," Elena moved to get up, but Damon grabbed her arm before she could get up.

"No, it's fine. You can stay," he said, and she looked and saw pleading in his blue eyes. For some reason, he didn't want to be left alone with ... Andie, was it?

"Who's this?" Andie asked, and Elena caught the jealousy that Andie had failed to hide.

"Andie, this is my best friend, Elena," he gestured toward her. Elena smiled. It warmed her heart that Damon still considered her his best friend.

"Nice to meet you," Elena held out her hand, and Andie took it, squeezing it. Elena could feel her circulation cutting off.

"You too, Damon's told me so much about you,"

_Really?_ That interested her. _Who was this girl again?_

"Well, Andie, Elena and I were just finishing up." Damon looked at Elena, desperation in his eyes.

"Yeah, where's the waiter? We need some boxes." She looked around for any waiter, she didn't want the blonde one to come back. Elena heard Damon inhale sharply.

"Oh, well, we_ really_ must meet up sometime, Damon," Andie smiled.

"Certainly," Damon agreed, but Elena knew that he was not interested. If he was, he was sure sending the wrong message to Andie.

_Of course Damon wasn't interested._

"See you later," Andie smiled and left.

"God, she's-" Damon looked up at Elena. "Annoying,"

Elena frowned. "She seemed nice. Who was she?"

Damon sighed, running a hand through his raven hair.

"That was Andie Star, the other girl after Katherine who wanted more than what I was offering," Damon cleared his throat. Apparently, he didn't want to talk about her either.

"Oh, well, I'm sure shell forget all about your little reunion," Elena said encouragingly.

Just then the waiter returned. The blonde one.

"Hi, can we get a couple of to-go boxes?" Elena asked as she bit her lip. _Damn it._ Damon was right.

"Certainly," the waiter nodded and headed the way he came.

"Why did you do that?" Damon asked suddenly.

Elena looked at him, frowning. "I thought we were leaving."

Damon laughed. "I was just trying to get rid of Andie,"

"Oh," Elena scoffed at her stupidity. "Right, I knew that. I was just nervous when the waiter came over,"

"There's something off about him," Damon said, looking around.

"He's just a little creepy, that's all," Elena dismissed him. Damon was reading too much into things.

"Yeah, maybe," Damon said, but he didn't sound convincing.

"Thank you again for the dinner," Elena told him.

"No problem."

"Here you go, miss. And here's the bill," the waiter handed two styrofoam boxes and Damon the bill.

"Thank you," Damon said as he pulled out his wallet.

"How much was it?"

"Not bad," Damon told her, his tone dismissive as he signed the receipt.

"So, I assume Caroline has recruited you for tonight," Elena said. She still needed to call her.

Damon looked up. "What about tonight?"

Elena was surprised. _Caroline was keeping things on the down-low? _

"She and Bonnie are taking me clubbing,"

"What club?"

"I don't know. I haven't called her back."

"Oh, that should be fun. Don't go overboard, though," He said sternly.

"I won't," Elena smiled. She was surprised that Damon didn't invite himself.

"Let's go," Damon said as he slid out of the booth and stood up.

* * *

"Thank you, again, Damon," Elena smiled when Damon pulled up in front of her house.

"Yeah," he nodded. "See you soon?"

When Elena looked back down at him, she saw a hint of his worry. _He was worried to lose her again?_

"Definitely," She smiled. "Bye,"

Damon waved to her, then pulled away, leaving Elena watching his Camaro turn around the corner.

Elena looked at her watch. She should go call Caroline about tonight.

_It was going to be a crazy night._

* * *

**Sorry if this chapter seems a bit long. I really wanted to break it up, but i _literally could not _find the right place. And also, sorry, it's a bit slow, but It will fasten up soon! :) Actually, I'm already heavily into the next chapter, so _maybe _tonight, most likely tomorrow, or for sure by Sunday :) **

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	7. Six

**CHAPTER 6:**

After getting off the phone with a nosy Caroline, Elena sighed. Caroline wanted to go dress shopping for tonight. Elena rubbed her eyes. _She had enough dresses to suffice for tonight, the last thing she needed was Caroline to drag her to the mall._

And that's _exactly _what she did.

Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie were all at some expensive clothing store at the Mall. She sat in one the white armchairs, watching Caroline model dresses. She hadn't found anything appealing at the store. Besides, it was way too much money that she would ever _dream _of spending on a dress.

"Elena!"

"Yeah?" Elena looked up to see a pouty Caroline.

"Well?"

Elena looked around. She had been zoning out again. Caroline could talk her ear off sometimes.

_Sometimes?_

"I like it," Elena studied the short amber dress, which hugged Caroline so tight that Elena wondered if Caroline could breathe. Even if she couldn't, Caroline wouldn't let that stop her. Elena actually liked the dress. It _screamed_ Caroline.

"You didn't even look at it!" Caroline scoffed, placing her fists on her hips.

"Yes, I did, Care. I said that I liked it."

Elena _hoped _that Caroline found her dress here. She wasn't sure how many more stores she could sit through if she had to do this.

Bonnie came out of the fitting room next to Caroline's.

"What do you guys think?" Bonnie asked as she twirled. A peach dress floated down Bonnie's body, and stopped near her knees. Elena liked it immediately.

"Oh, my god, Bonnie, it's _so_ pretty," Elena smiled.

"Yeah, it really brings out your eyes," Caroline winked.

"I think I'm gonna get it," Bonnie smiled.

"Great. I'm _definitely _getting this bad boy," Caroline looked down at her dress.

"Where's your dress, Elena? Didn't you find anything?" Bonnie asked as she regarded Elena with concern.

"Oh, I didn't find anything here," Elena sighed.

"Oh, well do you want to try somewhere else?"

"No," Elena snapped, and when she saw Bonnie's face, she regretted it.

"Sorry, I'm just getting tired," she apologized.

"Well, I'm sure we can find you something here," Caroline interrupted.

"Care, if Elena didn't see anything-"

"Bonnie Bennett, let Miss Caroline Forbes, StyleLife Magazine editor, work her magic," Caroline smirked.

"Ooh! This one!" Caroline ran over to a rack that held a dress that was short. _Too short,_ Elena shook her head. It had reminded her of her work outfits.

"It's too short," Elena told Caroline.

"Erm," she looked around. "How about this one?" Caroline wandered over to another rack.

"No, I'd die in that outfit. It's too low cut," Elena scoffed. She wondered if Caroline had thought that Elena was more comfortable wearing revealing clothes due to her job._Boy, was she wrong._

"Ugh, Elena, just-"

"Wait," Elena said softly, spying something on the clearance rack.

"Wha-Where are you going?" Caroline cried.

Elena didn't respond. She saw it. It was so beautiful. It was black lace, with a matching silk ribbon around the waist. It wasn't too low cut or too short. It did, however, hug her figure which Elena was slightly uncomfortable with, but she could let one insecurity slide.

"Oh, my god," Caroline breathed in awe as she and Bonnie approached the dress as well.

"This is it," Elena smiled eagerly. "And it's on sale,"

Caroline scoffed. "How the hell did _this _dress make it _this _long without being bought?"

"Is it your size?" Bonnie asked.

Elena reached for the dress and peeked into the inside.

_Small. _She grinned.

"It's perfect,"

"Then get it," Caroline said.

"She should try it on, Caroline. She doesn't want to waste money if it doesn't work." Bonnie defended Elena, who was too consumed in the dress.

"Yeah, yeah," Elena shook her head as she returned to the present.

Five minutes later, Elena emerged from the dressing room.

She knew it was a good thing when Caroline and Bonnie gasped.

"Oh, Elena," Caroline said softly. She looked as if she were about to cry.

Elena actually felt like Caroline as she turned to look into the mirror.

It fit perfectly. Like it was specially tailored for her. Elena turned to the side, looking at the different angles. Not one flaw.

"It's _so _beautiful," Bonnie agreed.

"And sexy," Caroline added, her voice mockingly husky.

Elena frowned. She didn't want to be _sexy._ She did enough of that at work.

But Elena loved this dress so much that she didn't care. No one would see her in it besides Caroline and Bonnie.

"Ready?" Caroline asked, looking at Bonnie and then Elena.

"Yeah, I'll go take this off," Elena headed back into the dressing room.

* * *

Elena and Bonnie sat at the food court of the mall.

"Elena, Why aren't you eating?" Caroline asked as she took a bite of her sesame chicken.

Elena hadn't told them that she'd already ate. Because she ate with Damon. She could still say that she ate without bringing him up. That wasn't the problem. The problem was whether or not Caroline would ask her to elaborate. Bonnie definitely wouldn't.

"Honestly?" Elena said. "I already had lunch,"

Caroline frowned. "When?"

_So it begins._

"A few hours ago," Elena looked at her watch. _Had it really not been that long?_ Her conversation with Damon seemed so much farther away.

"Oh,"

Elena cleared her throat. _Think of a new topic. Fast._

"So where's this club?"

That seemed to work as Caroline jumped excitedly.

"It's in Highland Springs," Caroline grinned.

_Highland Springs..._Elena heard the name before. It was about as close as Maymont.

"Oh, good, not too far," Elena sighed.

"Nope," Caroline pouted.

If it had been up to Caroline, they would've been clubbing in Vegas. Or Los Angeles.

"So, have you spoken to Damon?" Caroline asked.

_Don't make any sudden movements._

Elena decided that instead of elaborating, she should make Caroline take the hot seat.

"Thanks for giving him my number," Elena scowled.

"He called you?" Caroline's eyes widened.

"When?" Bonnie asked, curious as well.

"Yes and no," Elena shrugged.

"What? But he was supposed to-"

Caroline froze, realizing her mistake.

"He was supposed to what?" Elena pressed. Had Caroline _really_ crossed that line again?

Caroline closed her eyes as Bonnie shook her head.

"My bad. He asked me for your number, and I gave it to him, because I knew that you wanted me to help you reach him," Caroline explained.

Elena was surprised to know that Caroline hadn't forgotten their conversation while she was drunk.

"And you told him to call me." Elena said.

"No, _he_ told _me _that he would call you," Caroline said.

"Oh," Elena picked at her hair. _Would Caroline ever learn?_

"Did you guys talk?" Bonnie asked.

Elena nodded.

"Did you..?"

"Tell him?" Elena finished for Caroline. "Yes, actually. It went _well_," she scoffed.

"What happened?"

"I told him about the that night. He freaked out, as predicted. I hadn't planned on telling him that I ended up pregnant, but Damon being Damon, guessed."

"Wait, so he knows everything?" Caroline's eyebrows raised.

"Basically."

"Does he know about Maymont?" Bonnie wondered.

Elena shook her head. "We did go there last night and that's where I told him everything,"

"Wow, that's a lot of events in one night," Bonnie exhaled.

"Yeah," She wanted to tell them about the club incident but she refused. They would want that note, and for all she knew, Damon had it stored somewhere.

"Are we ready?" Elena asked. She just wanted to get home and get ready for tonight.

"Yeah," Caroline nodded, standing up as Bonnie did the same.

* * *

"Guys, we're gonna be late!" Caroline shouted. It was about 7:30. Caroline wanted to be at the club by 8.

They were back at Elena's, finishing the touches on their appearance. Elena looked like a celebrity. Her brown hair was now straighter than a pencil, and it was pinned up in the front. She wore smashing cherry lipstick and smokey eyeshadow. Caroline had done well on her. No wonder she was working at a Beauty/Fashion magazine.

"Coming!" Jeremy replied from the second landing.

"I _swear _to God, if we are not out in two minutes," Caroline snarled as she watched everyone scramble.

Elena rolled her eyes. Caroline could be so demanding and she was perfect for placing pressure on people.

"Calm down, Care. We're ready," Bonnie laughed.

"Yeah," Jeremy emerged from the hall. "Ready,"

"Me too," Elena walked in as she put her phone into her clutch.

"Let's go," Caroline groaned as she whipped open the door.

When Elena stepped through the doors, she looked up.

A Black limousine was parked in front of her house. Elena whipped around to face her friends.

"We all pitched in," Bonnie smiled. "Happy Birthday,"

"How-?" Elena was speechless. Limousines were _hard_ to get.

Caroline grinned. "There _are_ some perks to being a famous Magazine Editor,"

"Yeah," Elena laughed incredulously. "Thank you _so _much, you guys."

"No problem. Lead the way, Mother Caroline," Bonnie gestured for Caroline to go.

As they approached the limo, A white-haired man in a black tux and hat stepped out.

"Miss Caroline," he tipped his hat to her.

"Franco," Caroline shook his hand. "Thanks again,"

"Ah, is this the lovely Elena?" Franco looked at Elena and she felt her skin reddening.

"Oh, yes," Caroline squealed. "And that's her brother Jeremy," Caroline gestured to Jeremy who was looking at the car.

"Well, shall we get going?"

* * *

Elena scooted out of the limo, following Bonnie and Caroline. Jeremy followed behind last.

"Oh, wow," The club was something different. It was like one of the expensive Hollywood types. There was a marquee that stood above the entrance, and a Flashing light that said 'The Fast Lane'.

"Come_ on,_ guys," Caroline was already maybe a few feet ahead of them, looking annoyed.

Elena, Bonnie, and Jeremy followed in Caroline's tracks as she was admitted into the club.

When Elena walked inside, it was Darker than a movie theater.

The lights switched on, and Elena saw many familiar faces come into play.

_"Surprise!"_

Elena laughed. She was _so_ not expecting this. For once, Caroline had fooled her.

"Happy Birthday, Elena,"

Elena looked to the front of the room, and saw Jenna.

"Jenna," Elena choked as she slowly moved forward. _It was Jenna! Jenna was here, celebrating her birthday!_

"Hi, Elena," Jenna ran forward as Elena did the same.

"Oh, Jenna," Elena sobbed, tears flowing down her cheeks. She _never _expected Jenna to be here.

"I've missed you _so _much," Jenna whispered as she caressed Elena's head.

"I've missed you, too," Elena laughed, smiling.

"Elena," Elena turned around to see him.

_Damon._

_Damon was there._

"Damon?" Elena asked. She blinked. But he said that he didn't know about tonight.

_Well, he obviously lied._

"Hey," he smiled, moving toward her.

Elena felt his warm arms embrace her.

_Oh, she had missed his hugs._ It had been three years without this feeling of completeness.

"Happy Birthday," he whispered.

"Thank you," Elena giggled, as he wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Elena,"

Elena turned around to see Lexi, Rose and Rebekah standing beside her.

"Lexi? Rebekah? Rose?"

_Who else was there that she didn't see?_

The three girls came up and hugged Elena gently.

"Happy Birthday, Elena" they said in harmony.

"Thanks, guys," she smiled.

"And let's not forget about the favorite boss,"

Kol emerged from the crowd.

"Kol," Elena attempted a smile. _It was actually a little awkward having her boss at her private birthday party._

"Do I get a hug, too?" he smirked.

Elena nodded and Kol wrapped his arms around her.

"Happy Birthday, Elena," he said softly.

"Thanks," Jeez, by the end of the night, Elena would say thank you more than anyone else in the world.

When she pulled away, Elena saw Damon scoffing behind her.

_What was up with him?_

"So, let's get this party started!" Caroline hollered as she brought over a bottle of alcohol. "Happy Legal Drinking!" she handed the bottle to Elena.

"Thank you, Caroline," Elena grinned as she twisted the bottle cap. For some reason, it wouldn't come off.

"It's stuck," Elena told Caroline as she continued to struggle.

"Allow me," Kol offered as he held his hand out for the bottle.

"Thanks," she laughed. _God, she would never stop saying it!_

With one simple twist, the cork popped off and liquid spurted everywhere.

"Ah!" Elena put her arms in front of her to protect herself. Obviously, it had failed. Everyone who had personally greeted Elena was now dripping with alcohol.

"You got a little-" Kol had moved his fingers up to Elena's mouth, wiping off some of the alcohol.

"Good one," she giggled.

"Elena," Damon had come up to her.

"Yeah?"

"Can I-"

"Here, Elena, drink this," Bonnie handed Elena a glass of alcohol.

_"Drink, Drink, Drink!" _Elena heard the guests encourage her.

"Here I go," Elena raised her glass.

In less than five seconds, the glass was empty.

_Holy hell, her head was spinning. And she loved it._

Cheering erupted and Elena triumphantly held up the glass in the air.

"More!" she shouted.

Bonnie took the glass and poured another round.

"Oh, yeah!" Elena giggled obnoxiously.

Pretty soon, everyone was either on the dance floor partying or listening to Elena talk about some crazy dream that she has about going to the moon with cows.

"I mean wouldn't it be _amazing?"_ she asked as she examined each and every of her audience's face.

"Yeah, because cows are the ones to take up there," Lexi scoffed. She was also drunk.

"And what would you take?" Elena challenged.

"Maybe a pig," Lexi hiccuped.

"Yes, because pigs are _so _much better than cows," she said obnoxiously.

Just then, Elena's favorite song came on.

"Oh, my god! I _love _this song!" she squealed as she ran to the dance floor.

**_I feel so close to you right now_**

**_It's a force field_**

**_I wear my heart upon my sleeve, like a big deal_**

**_Your love pours down on me, surrounds me like a waterfall_**

**_And there's no stopping us right now_**

**_I feel so close to you right now_**

Elena climbed up onto a table as the instrumental came. She felt on top of the world right now. _N__othing _could ruin this moment.

"Elena, you're going to hurt yourself," Kol chuckled as he held out his hand to her.

"Why, Kol, why don't you get up here and join me?" Elena smirked mischievously as Kol's eyes flashed with something similar to Elena's.

Kol was about to get up onto the table when Damon approached them.

_That could ruin the moment._

"Elena, I think you've had to much to drink," he grinned, but Elena thought that she didn't see the smile reach his eyes. She was so drunk that she couldn't be sure.

Elena nodded. If she was about to let Kol come up and dance with her, then she was _definitely _too drunk.

"How many glasses have you had?" Damon asked as she took his hand, his voice just below angry.

"I lost count," Elena laughed lazily as she hopped off the table.

_"Jesus,_ Elena, _careful,"_ he admonished.

"I'm fine, Damon," Elena hiccuped.

_She was wasted._

"You should get home," he said.

"Oh, Damon, I was about to have fun with Kol," Elena pouted.

"No, you were about to _dirty dance _with him," Damon growled.

"Jeez, what's your problem, babe?" she smirked. _What did she just call him?_

"Elena, you're drunk." his eyes pierced hers and he didn't look happy from what she could tell.

_Live a little, Damon._

"As a skunk," she said, wobbling. Damon, however, caught her before she could hit the floor. She looked up into his eyes. "When did you get such pretty eyes?" she said hazily.

_She didn't know what she was saying._

Damon frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, they're like, _so _blue..." she slurred. Damon looked conflicted. _Conflicted about what?_

"Well, I was born with them, Elena," he said flatly as he set her up on her feet. "Can you walk?" he asked her.

"Mmm, lemme see," Elena tried to walk, but her legs shook. "No, I can't. I want you to carry me, Damon," she whispered huskily as she wandered over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. _What the hell was she doing?_

Damon's eyebrows raised. "Elena, you don't know what you're doing or saying," he shook his head.

"Oh, that's where you're wrong," she scoffed, leaning into his neck. "I know _exactly _what I'm saying," she purred.

_Purred?_

_Was she hitting on him?_

"Elena-"

"Elena," Caroline came over, looking confused from what Elena could tell.

"What the hell is going on?"

"I'm just asking Damon to take me home," Elena sighed as she played with the collar on his blue shirt. _He looked good in blue_, Elena thought.

_Too hell with it, _Elena thought. _She couldn't stop it, anyways._

"Care, she's _wasted. _Like,_ point-of-no-return_ wasted_." _Elena felt Damon's chest vibrate as he spoke.

"_God, _you smell good_," _Elena giggled as she inhaled Damon's cologne. It was a mix between spice and sweetness.

"Wow, you're not kidding. Do you wanna take her home? It's fine. She needs to rest. She's had a long day," Caroline suggested.

Elena continued to play with Damon's shirt as he responded. "Yeah, I suppose I'll take her home," Damon replied awkwardly. " I need Jer's keys."

"Jeremy?" Caroline called.

In a few seconds, Elena heard the buzzing of Jeremy's voice.

"Yeah?"

"Damon's taking your _wasted _sister home and he needs the keys,"

"Oh, sure, here," Jeremy riffled through his pockets and held out his house key.

_Where did he get a spare set? _Elena wondered. She didn't give him one.

"How drunk is she?" Jeremy asked.

"On a scale of one to psychotic party drunk, I'd say psycho party drunk," Caroline evaluated.

"Don't be jealous, Sweet Caroline," Elena scoffed as she felt faint. "Just because you can't breathe in that dress doesn't mean you can't party hard,"

Caroline's eyes widened.

_"Damn! _You weren't kidding, Care," Jeremy laughed.

"It's _not_ funny!" Caroline snapped.

_"I_ think it's funny," Elena disagreed.

"We'll be on our way," Damon scooped up Elena in his arms.

"Where are you going with her?" Elena heard Jenna's voice.

"Damon's taking little Lindsay home. She's _screwed._" Caroline scoffed.

"Oh, god," Jenna sighed. "Do you need help?"

"Naw, s'all good, Jen," Elena patted Jenna's head. "Your hair's a bit greasy," Elena scrunched her nose in disgust.

Jenna's mouth fell open.

"Okay, were going to leave before you insult anyone else," Damon said.

"Please call when she's home safe, Damon," Jenna pleaded.

"I will," Damon nodded as he headed toward the exit.

"What's wrong with her?" Kol asked desperately.

"She's heavily intoxicated. Too many shots,"

"Oh, that's not good."

"Obviously," Damon snapped.

"Are you taking her home?" Kol asked.

"Yeah, she needs to sleep it off. She's going to have a killer hangover in the morning,"

"No kidding," Kol chuckled.

"If you'll excuse me," Damon cleared his throat, and Elena faintly noticed his anger.

"Tell her I hope she feels better," Kol hollered.

Elena wanted to thank him, but she was too tired.

"That's gonna happen," Damon scoffed.

Elena didn't know if he was referring to telling her about Kol's regards, or if she would feel better.

"Elena, stand up," Damon instructed.

"Oh, I can't...I'm too...tired..."

Elena felt herself being laid out in the backseat of what she assumed was Damon's car and then she felt the car begin to move.

* * *

Elena's eyes fluttered open as she felt strong arms around her body.

"What? Where am I?"

Elena blinked as she saw a dim light hanging on the side of a building.

"Shh," Damon cooed. "You're at your house," She looked around. He was carrying her up the steps. She wanted to it herself, but she couldn't walk.

"Where's the party?" She yawned.

"They're back at the bar," Damon turned the key into the lock and flipped the lights on.

"God," Elena shut her eyes tightly.

"Sorry," Damon began upstairs.

"Wait, where are we-?"

"Your room," he told her.

"N-No," Elena shifted in his arms. She didn't want him in her room.

"Shh,"

"Which one?" Damon asked once they had reached the top stair.

"Left," she breathed quietly as she felt herself become tired again.

Elena heard a door open and soon felt the softness of her mattress.

"Here," Damon pulled up the blankets over her.

"Oh, god," Elena sat up. Her hand shot to her mouth.

"Move," she shoved Damon aside as she scrambled from her bed into the bathroom.

She was leaning over the toilet, throwing up.

"Elena," Damon called. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she coughed. "I'll be out in a minute."

When Elena finished, she slowly got to her feet and flushed the toilet.

Her head felt like it was repeatedly banged against a brick wall.

Once she had control over her head, she quickly brushed her teeth stripped out of her dress and into a tank top and shorts. When she entered her bedroom, Damon was sitting on her bed looking at something that Elena couldn't see.

"Who's this?"

He held up a picture frame that contained a photo of Elena smiling with another brunette.

"Oh, my friend Meredith," Elena said as she walked over toward her bed.

"Huh," Damon set the photo back on her nightstand as he got up.

"How you feeling?" Damon leaned against the door frame.

"Like hell," she joked. "I can't remember a single thing that happened tonight," she told him_. It was all a blank slate of emptiness._

"Oh,"

"What?" Elena frowned. _What had she done?_

"Nothing," he sighed. "I should go,"

"Thank you for bringing me home, Damon," She smiled at him.

"Yeah, no problem," he smirked. A hint of sadness lingered in his eyes. _What the hell was he sad about?_

"Get some sleep," he hugged her. This took her by surprise.

"I will," she nodded as he pulled away. "Goodnight, Damon,"

"Goodnight, Elena," he walked out of her room.

Elena's lids shut the second that her front door slammed.

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	8. Seven

**CHAPTER 7: **

Elena's head was pounding when she opened her eyes the next morning. She couldn't remember what happened at the club for the life of her. All she knows is that she was _wasted._ She reached for her phone, which lay on her nightstand_. 4:00._ She immediately skyrocketed out of bed. _Damn, it was late! _ She needed to get to work. The bus came at 4:30, and there was _no _way that she would make it in time. Elena scrolled through her contacts and when she found the number that she was looking for, she clicked 'call'.

_"Elena?"_

"Damon, I need a favor," she took a deep breath.

Damon was silent for a moment, making worry bloom in Elena's chest. If he said no, she didn't know what she'd do.

_"What do you need?"_

_Oh, thank god._

"Could you give me a lift to work?" Elena bit her lip as she waited for Damon's response.

_"Er, yeah, I can do that. What time do you need me to come get you?"_

Elena smiled with relief. "About an hour. Is that okay?"

_"Yep. I'll see you," _ Damon hung up.

Elena pulled back her phone and looked at in confusion. Damon was acting cryptic and distant on the phone? _Why?_

"Elena, I'm heading out with some friends," Jeremy hollered.

"Okay," Elena replied.

Realizing that she actually didn't have a lot of time, Elena hopped out of bed.

* * *

"Hey, thanks again," Elena smiled as she climbed into the passenger seat of Damon's car.

"No problem," Damon pulled away from the curb and drove off as Elena reached for the seatbelt and clicked it on.

"So, what happened last night? I can't remember a _thing._" Elena looked at Damon as she rubbed her eyes.

Damon cleared his throat.

"You mean other than you getting _completely _wasted?" Damon smirked as he turned to her.

"Was it really bad?" Elena bit her lip as she looked at him.

"Well, I'll let Caroline and Jenna tell you that part,"

"What did I say?" Elena swallowed. So she said something, or _somethings_, to Jenna and Caroline. But what? Damon seemed a little off, so it probably wasn't good.

"Again, talk to Caroline and Jenna,"

"You're being very distant today." Elena observed. She noticed Damon's jaw went tight.

"Or you're being paranoid," he suggested in a way that sounded like he didn't want to talk about whatever was bothering him.

When did Damon _ever _want to talk about what was bothering him?

"So I take it you're not going to tell me," Elena sighed. _Damon was so difficult._

_What was new?_

"No, there's nothing to tell," he snapped.

"Okay, sorry," Elena muttered. _Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed._

For the remainder of the ride, Elena struggled to conjure up something that they could discuss without him getting snappy with her. Unfortunately, she was empty-handed.

"Here you go," Damon put the car into Park.

_That was fast._

"Thank you again," Elena waved to him as she slid out of the car.

"Do you need a ride home?"

Elena froze. If the ride home was going to be as awkward as the ride there, then no. But she was determined to get to the bottom of Damon's mood. So she nodded.

"Yeah, I'd like that,"

"Okay, so what time?"

"Around nine," she said.

"See you later," he waved to her as he pulled away.

* * *

Elena was, as usual, waiting tables. It was strange being her, considering. The police still had no leads on the accident that the public wasn't already aware of, so things with the case were slow.

There was still an empty void that filled the place.

"Hey, sweetheart,"

Elena looked down at the man who she had just given a drink to. He was young, and had light brown hair.

"Can I help you?" Elena scoffed. She didn't like the way he was eyeing her. She wrapped her arms over her chest as she shuffled on her feet. She was seriously beginning to reconsider her occupation.

"Oh, there are many ways that you can help me, baby," he said huskily as Elena saw his green eyes didn't realize that he was out of his seat and hovering over her.

"Um, don't-"

His arms were around her waist as he slid them down to her behind. Elena flinched as her blood ran cold. She wanted him to get his slimy paws off of her. _Now. She couldn't stand when men touched her. _

"Don't touch me," she whimpered. Her voice was so not helping her. She sounded like a cowering mouse in the hands of a cat. Not at all intimidating.

"Oh, come on, baby. It's only a little fun," he laughed, squeezing her behind.

"Stop-"

"Hey!" Elena turned to see Kol storming over. _And he looked pissed._

_Thank god. She was saved._

"What the hell's going on over here?" He snapped as he narrowed his eyes at the blonde guy.

"Nothing to worry about, the lady and I were just having a little fun," he smirked. Elena swallowed as he pulled her against his body.

"Well, what it _looks _like to me, is that she isn't even _remotely _interested," Kol moved to grab Elena from him. She felt so relieved to be out of that monster's grip. When she got home, she _needed _to take a few showers to wash him off of her.

"I'd shut the fuck up if I were you," the blond guy snarled, moving toward Kol in an intimidating manner.

"Don't make me kick you out," Kol said darkly. "Please leave,"

"And if I don't?"

"Then I will make _certain _that you don't show your face in my bar again."

When the stranger made no sign of leaving, Kol waved his hand.

"Guys," he said loudly, not taking his eyes off of the man. "Show this asshole the way out."

Elena looked around to see three different guys emerge from out of the blue toward them. They were all dressed in dark clothes, and they all donned badges.

"You'll regret this," the guy hissed in Kol's face.

"I won't."

The three security guards approached the scene and Elena watched them escort the guy out.

"Are you alright?" Kol asked as he turned to Elena with a look of worry.

"Yes, I'm fine," Elena nodded as she dropped her arms to her side. "Thank you, Kol,"

"Yep. This place is really getting out of hand," he rubbed his eyes.

"It's crazy. Guys need to really learn how to treat women better." she agreed. Ever since the accident, things were hectic and strange at the club. A lot of people came in hoping for answers to the story. But nobody was talking. Too many men were coming in and being inappropriate.

Before Elena could understand, Kol had his arms wrapped around her in an embrace.

She wanted to brush him off, but honestly, she needed some comfort after that creep had felt her up.

"It's okay, Elena." Kol soothed.

"Elena,"

Elena turned and saw Damon in the doorway, looking shocked.

"Damon, what are you doing here?" When she pulled away from Kol, she frowned.

_Kol still had his arms around her._

Damon cleared his throat as he held up his phone.

"You said nine,"

Elena looked the screen, which indeed said 9:04.

_Was it already nine? Jeez, the day went faster than she thought._

"Oh, sorry. I, uh, lost track of time," she told him apologetically.

Elena turned to Kol.

"Thank you again, Kol," Elena touched his arm, trying to tell that she wanted him to stop touching her.

"No problem," Kol removed his hand as he regarded Elena with a saddened expression.

"Damon," Kol nodded at Damon, who was walking toward them.

"Kol," His voice was icy. Elena scoffed.

_Grow up, please._

"I'll see you, Elena. Don't worry about coming in tomorrow if you're still not feeling well. We can find someone to cover,"

"Thanks. I think I'll be fine,"

"Okay, I'll see you later," Kol gave Damon a bitter look as he turned away. _Great, now _he_ was acting like a child. _

"Elena, we really need to go," Damon said.

_She had forgotten for a second that Damon was there._ Elena turned to face him, boiling with anger.

"Why are you so rude to him?" Elena snapped. Damon was really beginning to annoy her. Why the hell was he acting so hostile?

"Because he was flirting with you, Elena."

Elena scoffed, shaking her head as she walked towards the exit.

_Grow up, Damn it!_

"No, he was being friendly. There's a difference, Damon," she told him angrily as she pushed through the doors and stepped outside. _Why did he care?_

Elena turned on her heal. "And whats it to you? It never bothered you who I was friends with before. Why now?"

"Because I don't want you to get hurt again," he said softly as he stopped.

"I'm twenty one, Damon. I can take care of myself. I'm not that fragile, innocent little girl you used to know," she said, her voice soft yet defensive.

Elena looked at Damon, desperately hoping that he was understanding her. When Damon looked back up at her, his eyes filled with something intense that she vaguely remembered seeing in his eyes once.

"No, you're right. You sure as_ hell_ are not," he growled.

Before she could ask him what he meant, Damon's lips were instantly on hers.

She felt faint. His lips were warm and soft, molding against hers in a tender way. Instantly, Elena felt her heart rate explode.

She was kissing him back. _Why the hell was he kissing her? _

_Why the hell was she kissing him back?_

Damon's hands moved down to her waist, pulling her to him as he stepped forward, and Elena gasped as she felt her back press against the side of Damon's car. Instantly, the kiss deepened. Elena's heart was pounding out of her chest from the exploding passion as she suddenly felt his tongue plunging into her mouth.

"Damon," Elena breathed against his mouth. "Damon, d-"

His tongue was so expertly skilled, Elena thought as she struggled to keep up with it's speed. Elena was beginning to feel lightheaded as an unfamiliar noise came from Damon's throat. When Elena moved to reposition herself, she felt something hard rub against her stomach.

"Damon, stop," Elena murmured against his lips.

_Oh, god, his lips._

Elena shook her head. _She had to stop this. _Her head was spinning and she needed to stop Damon. _She wouldn't cross this line. She was too damaged to be repaired. _

"Damon!" Elena placed her arms on Damon's shoulders and pushed him off of her.

Damon looked at her as if she had two heads.

"What the _hell?"_ she hissed. "Why did you do that?"

Damon visibly flinched.

"Elena, you didn't exactly resist at first. Don't you act like I'm stupid enough to not notice," he snapped.

"And don't _you _turn this around on me," she growled, feeling her cheeks flame. "Answer me,"

After what seemed like forever, Damon responded.

"Because...because of last night," He ran a hand through his hair.

Elena scowled. "And what happened last night that made you think that you could do that?" she asked desperately.

"When you were drunk, you said some ... things last night. To me," he sighed.

"Like what?" she continued to scowl.

"You were saying things that I never thought you'd say,"

Elena blinked. "I was _drunk,_ Damon. I didn't mean those things,"

"Haven't you ever heard that when you are drunk, the things that you say are your sober thoughts?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "That's not true."

Damon frowned. "So you don't think that I have 'pretty eyes?'" he asked, looking into her brown eyes intensely.

_Did she say that?_

"Damon-" she hesitated, only provoking Damon further.

"And you don't think I smell good?"

Elena felt her skin redden. _Where the hell had that all come from? Why did she say these things last night?_

_She was wasted, that's why._

"What's your point, Damon?" she asked, annoyed.

"My point is," he said as he looked down at her lips again, "Can you _honestly_ look me in the eye and tell me that there wasn't _some _truth to your words when you said them last night?"

Elena opened her mouth to say no, but she couldn't say anything. _Why couldn't she tell him that he was wrong? _

"Exactly," Damon nodded as Elena remained silent.

"Why are you acting like this?" she asked.

Damon cleared his throat. "Because I have spent the last _three years_, worried about how you were, where you were, or hell, if you were even _alive,_" Damon chuckled, but his laugh was off. "And when I _finally_ found you, I couldn't believe that I had. I was so thankful that I had, but I was also _pissed _because the _last _time I saw you, you were walking out of the gym. You didn't let me know that you got home safely. I went over to your house the next day, and Jenna had told me that you weren't feeling well. I was baffled and confused why you would suddenly stop talking to everyone. Then, when I knew that _something _had happened, I find out that you ran away without telling anyone."

"And when you told me what had happened after prom that night, I was devastated and angry. Angry with you, the bastard who ruined your life by raping you and getting you pregnant, and mostly, myself. I was angry that I was _monumentally stupid _for letting you walk home alone, and that I wasn't able to be there for you. And from then on, I swore to myself that I'd never let you get hurt again."

"And, you know what, Elena? When I came to talk to you that night at the club, after Caroline had given me your number and said that you wanted to talk to me, I was going over what to say to you. I knew that you were taking a huge step in telling me. But when I walked into the club, I had forgotten what I had planned on saying. I was too distracted by you. I saw you up on stage, as you know. I had never seen you like that. You always wore clothes to cover yourself up, even when we went to the beach. You always blushed when any guy looked at you funny. You had _no _idea _how _many guys wanted to go out with you."

"Damon, stop," Elena told him. _She couldn't hear this._ _She wasn't worth this. She wasn't worth the things that he was saying to her._

"Why? Because you're scared of me telling you the truth? Or because you're scared to _know _the truth?"

"Because I'm not worth it!"

This was all too much to take in. Damon was basically telling her that he never stopped thinking about her. Was Lexi right all along? Was he meaning to tell her that he had harbored some romantic feelings toward her? If he did, when did they start? She couldn't let Damon see her that way. Her past would always be there, haunting her.

"Are you _kidding _me, Elena?" Damon asked incredulously.

"No. Damon. I just _can't_ do this," She sniffled.

"Once I found you here in Richmond, after three years of not knowing what became of you, I felt like I couldn't ever let you run away again. When I noticed Kol was trying to make _way _too many moves that crossed the line for a employee/boss relationship, I felt something that I've never felt before around you. I didn't know why. Just like when we went out to lunch yesterday, and that creep of a waiter was ogling you, I found myself getting angry at him as well, and I didn't even _know _the guy."

"When I saw you come out of your house yesterday for lunch, and at your party last night, I honestly thought that you were something else. I had seen you wear dresses before. Rarely, but I've seen you in them. And I thought that you looked beautiful. I kicked myself for not telling you yesterday at lunch. And tonight, in there," Damon's voice softened. "When I walked in, I saw Kol holding you and I freaked, Elena. I lost my control when he was talking to you, and when we got outside, you were upset with me. And when you asked me why I cared what happened between you and him, Everything became clear. I was jealous. I didn't mean to be jealous of him, but I _just was._"

Elena felt tears prick her eyes. She was so overwhelmed with so many different emotions, she could hardly think.

Elena swallowed, her mouth falling to the floor.

_Lexi was right._

"How long have you felt like this?" Elena whispered suddenly.

Damon ran a hand through his hair.

"Since I saw you walk into Prom with Matt."

Elena's eyes widened.

* * *

_April 19, 2008_

"Elena," Matt called. Elena was looking at the decorations that were plastered across the hall. The prom theme was 'A Night To Remember' and it certainty looked like the student council had taken that to heart.

Silver strings of tinsel ran along the lockers as decorative golden stars hung from the ceiling. On the ground, there was a read carpet rolled out.

"Sorry," I was lost in the decorations," she laughed.

"It's fine. Let's go." he held his hand and Elena wrapped hers around his.

The moment they went through the doors, Elena gasped.

If she had thought that the _hallway _was done beautifully, then the gymnasium was a masterpiece.

Four huge chandeliers hung from the ceiling, sending rainbow lights across the walls as the strobe lights cast in their direction.

_"Damon, come on! We need to get our picture taken!" _Katherine's whiny voice caught Elena's attention as she turned to see Katherine tugging on Damon's arm.

"Damon?"

He turned around immediately, and when he looked at Elena, she saw him blink several times. He was looking at her, not Katherine. He was looking at her in a way that she'd never seen him look at her before._ But she couldn't place it._

"Elena," he breathed as he and a reluctant Katherine walked over to them. Matt and Elena walked halfway, and stopped in front of them. "You look..._ beautiful,"_ he smiled at her and Elena found herself blushing.

"You don't look so bad yourself," she grinned.

"Damon, come _on!"_ Katherine moaned.

"Katherine," Matt nodded politely.

"Matt," she purred, smiling mischievously.

Elena scoffed. Katherine had always found him attractive as well. She thought all of the football players were attractive.

_Didn't Damon notice that Katherine was flirting with Matt? Did he even care?_

"We should go," Elena said, starting to walk away with Matt, "I'll see you around, Damon,"

"Yeah, So should we." he nodded, and suddenly Elena felt guilty for leaving him with Katherine. _But he wanted to be there with her. Right?_

"Have fun," Damon smiled, and Elena walked away with Matt to the dance floor.

* * *

Elena blinked.

"You felt something _that _long ago?"

Damon sighed. "Yes,"

"But, you asked me to dance with you so Katherine wouldn't know that you were miserable-"

Damon scowled. "I was just looking for an excuse to dance with _you_, Elena. If I just told you that I felt something for you back then, do you_ really_ think that I would give a rat's ass about what _Katherine _thought about me?"

"So you didn't care that she was flirting with Mason? You just pretended that you did to hide your feelings from me?"

Damon nodded, and his expression was serious.

"Damon-" Elena shook her head. She was so confused. Damon basically poured his heart out to her, told her that he felt some sort of romantic feelings toward her way back when, and he had kissed her.

"So, what now?" Elena asked.

"Now, I guess you tell me," he sighed, and Elena heard an edge of nervousness in his voice. "If you don't want to cross this line, I get it." A look of pain crossed Damon's face, but he recovered quickly. "But if you want to try this out and see where it leads to, then we can. Whatever you want, Elena."

Elena thought. She was so overwhelmed. On one hand, she thought of her past, the events that had tainted it. She thought of the problems they would cause for them. And they _would _cause problems. She wasn't going to lie. She was scared of them, and what she and Damon could become.

But on the other hand, Elena had realized something. She _had_ thought about them, once or twice before she left Mystic Falls. She thought about their relationship, how close they were, and how happy they made each other. She was so happy when they went out to lunch yesterday. She couldn't remember a time since she left Mystic Falls when she never felt more happy than she was then. And if being around Damon was happiness for her, then she would try. For the both of them.

"Yes," she nodded, breathing. "I want to try,"

Damon stared at her with astonishment.

"Really?" he gasped.

She nodded.

"But can you take me home, Damon? I'm exhausted." she sighed.

"Of course," Damon hugged her, and Elena didn't want to let go of the feeling it brought.

* * *

Elena shut the door to her house, leaning against the door.

She felt like she had just been pushed off of a cliff, landed in cold water, and came up for a fresh breath of air.

"Elena?"

Elena gasped, turning to see Jeremy laying down on the couch. The TV was on, but muted. And from the looks if it, Jeremy was just asleep.

"Did I wake you?"

"No, I was having trouble falling asleep," Jeremy sat up on the couch looking at her.

"Oh, good," She didn't believe him, but she didn't want to talk anymore.

"I'm going to bed," Elena yawned as she slipped her jacket and shoes off.

"Hey, what's on your mouth?"

Elena looking up.

"What do you mean?"

Jeremy got up and walked to stand in front of Elena.

"You have a little smeared lipstick," he pointed on his face to where it was, and Elena raised her hand to cover the spot.

_Crap._ Damon must've smeared some of her lipstick with his lips when he'd kissed her.

"Oh, er," she stalled, but was clueless. What could she say other than the truth that Jeremy would believe?

"Where _where_ you?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

_She was always a hopeless liar. Damon had been the one to tell her that on the phone yesterday. So why try?_

"Er, with Damon. He picked me up from work," Elena said.

_"_What were you doing with him that made your lipstick smear?"

Elena was surprised, even worried, that Jeremy hadn't realized the obvious. _He had just woken up, though. She knew that he was asleep._

Just as she had thought that, Jeremy's eyes widened.

"Did he _kiss _you?"

Elena hated that she felt her cheeks heat.

"Fine, yes," she sighed. "Happy?"

"As long as you are, sis,"

Elena slapped Jeremy's arm.

"Ass," she said, feigning anger.

"That's why I'm your little brother," he smiled.

"I'll see you later, Jer," she headed up the stairs.

"Love you too!" he called.

The moment Elena entered her room, she stripped out of her clothes and into her pajamas. And for the first time in a _long _time as she crawled into bed, Elena felt happiness as sleep consumed her.

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	9. Eight

**AN: ****My apologies on the delay!** I was having an adrenaline rush when I first began writing this story by updating about everyday, but then, unfortunately, I hit a MAJOR writer's block and I also just couldn't find the right way to continue to the next chapter, so it was extremely difficult and stressful. I FINALLY got some stuff for a chapter. It's not the best, but it's more of a filler chapter. It's about to pick up, I promise! Especially the Delena love! & More flashbacks are expected! :D Next Chapter will be up by the end of the week at the latest! Please hang in there, and **REVIEW!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 8:**

_March 2008- Mystic Falls, VA_

"I give up," Damon said angrily as he slammed his Spanish One book shut and slid it across the table.

"Don't give up, Damon," Elena encouraged as she sat beside him.

It was the week before Finals, and Elena and Damon were in the cafeteria studying together, along with several other stress-inflicted students. They had been meeting nearly everyday after school to study together. Elena was ready for these exams. Damon was doing decent in his classes, but he was still cramming for his Spanish exams. He was just not getting it. He had told her that he had a D in that class. Elena had offered to tutor him. She had an A, and she was one level higher than him.

"Why the hell do I need to know Spanish? What am I going to use it for?" he groaned.

Elena scoffed. "Damon, it's a _great_ thing to know another language in life. It doesn't matter what you do after high school, you'll find a way to use it one day. Plus, you need at least three years of foreign language to get into college," she told him.

"Alright, I get it. Will you help me?" he pleaded with her.

Elena laughed.

"Sure," she sighed as she scooted closer to him. "Hand me the book," she smiled, holding her hand out.

Damon leaned over to retrieve the book.

"Here," He handed it to Elena then crossed his arms.

"Okay, so," Elena cleared her throat as she opened the book and turned to the marked page. "What don't you get?"

"Everything."

Elena laughed immediately. "I need more than that, Damon,"

He scowled. "Go ahead. Laugh at my lack of ability to learn a foreign language," Damon looked visibly hurt.

"I'm not laughing at you. I'm sorry, I'll stop," she struggled to control her giggles.

"Okay, then," she cleared her throat as she scanned the page for something to ask him.

"Tell me what this means," Elena slid her left leg over her right as she read aloud. _"Tenemos que tomar apuntes,"_

When Elena looked up at Damon, his face was blank.

"Could you speak English?" he whined.

"If i did that, then you wouldn't learn _Spanish_. Now tell me what that means," she shook her head.

"How can I tell you what that means when _I_ don't even know what it means?"

"Try. You'd be surprised,"

Damon closed his eyes as he inhaled.

"Could you repeat it?" he asked, sighing heavily.

_"Tenemos que tomar apuntes," _Elena looked at Damon expectantly.

"We take...I don't know." Damon scoffed.

"Close. You were onto the right track with the 'We' part. But it's not 'we take,'"

"What does tenamos mean?" he wondered.

_"Tenemos." _Elena bit her lip nervously.

Damon groaned. "You see?"

"Would it help if I said something in english and you translated it into spanish?" She offered.

"We can try,"

"Okay, how about..'I need to study'," Elena smirked. _Irony at it's finest._

_"Necesitar estudio?" _

"Close. _Necesitar_ is the infinitive verb, meaning the verb _before _the conjugation. "What is _necesitar_ in the 'Yo' form?"

Damon looked around.

"Drop the 'ar'," she hinted, smiling.

_"Necesito_?" Damon wondered, looking up at her, hopeful.

Elena smiled. "Good job, Damon! Now, what's 'to study?'"

_"Estudiar," _he said and Elena nodded.

"So it's _'Necesito estudio?'" _

"What happens to the second verb when there's already one in front of it?" she asked.

"Oh, it doesn't get conjugated," he nodded.

"Yes, so try it all at once," _He was so close._

_"Necesito estudiar?"_

"You did it, Damon! I'm _so_ proud of you," she giggled happily.

"Thank you," he smirked, causing Elena to blush for some unknown reason.

"What's up, guys?" Matt Donovan and Tyler Lockwood, Caroline's boyfriend, appeared from behind Damon, startling Elena. Matt now held Damon in a hug from behind. Elena didn't like the way that Matt was staring at her. Elena moved her hair in front of her to hide her body.

"Tanner's looking for you," Mason told him.

"What?" Damon's eyebrows raised. "I told him that I couldn't make practice, that I had schoolwork to do,"

"Well, he must've forgot because he sent us to hunt you down," Tyler sighed.

"And I wouldn't test him today. He's _pissed._" Matt added as he smirked at Elena.

"When is he _not _pissed?" Damon groaned as he leaned back in his chair.

"I don't know," Tyler shook his head. "Come on,"

Damon looked at Elena. "I'm so sorry, Elena," he frowned, his blue eyes whispering an apology to her as he slid his books into his black backpack.

"It's fine, Damon. We can meet tomorrow at my house," she offered, as she began packing up as well.

"Yeah, sounds good." he nodded as he stood up, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "I'll see you later, Elena," he waved.

"Bye, Elena," Matt winked, making Elena fidget uncomfortably.

"What the hell is your problem, Donovan?" Damon wacked him on the head.

"Jealous, Salvatore?" Matt challenged.

Elena watched him walk away with his friends, not hearing his reply.

* * *

Elena woke up to the sound of her phone ringing in her ear.

_Why did someone always have to wake her up? It was ...11? Damn, it was late._

However, when seeing the name on the caller ID, Elena froze.

_What would she say to him now that things were... different between them?_

Before the call could go to voicemail, Elena decided on the normal approach as she answered.

"Was whatever you called me about worth waking me up?" she smiled as she sat up in bed.

"That depends on what you consider 'worthy'," Elena could hear his smirk through the phone.

"What is it?" she asked sweetly.

"My friend needs some help at his bar later today, and I was wondering if you would come along with me. It's a long and boring ride. It would be _so_ much more tolerable if you came with me."

Elena felt even her _toes _blushing._When did Damon become so... _sweet?

"Yeah, of course. What time are you picking me up?" she asked as she got out of bed and scooped her straight hair into a ponytail.

"In about a half-hour. Is that okay?"

"Sure," she walked over to her closet and retrieved her outfit.

"Okay, I'll see you later,"

"Later,"  
Elena felt her entire body tingle with warmth. She was going to see Damon today, after last night. After they decided to experiment with their feelings toward each other.

Elena immediately felt her insides warm.

* * *

Elena peeked through the window of her living room to see Damon's car parked in front of her house.

"Off with Mr. Sloppy Lips?" Jeremy's voice rose a few octaves in imitation.

"Damon's lips may be a lot of things, but _sloppy _isn't one of them," Elena reached for a pillow and threw it at Jeremy. She was becoming flustered.

_Did she really just say that?_

"Oh, TMI. I'm your little brother, Elena, not Caroline," he made a disgusted face as he put his hands over his ears. "If you wanna talk guys, call her."

"Bye, Jer," Elena waved him away as she laughed at him slouching into the kitchen.

**Damon: Here. **

Elena hopped off of the couch quickly and made her way toward the door.

"I'll see you, Jer," she hollered as she stepped outside.

"Yeah, yeah," Jeremy replied nonchalantly.

Laughing at his tone, Elena shut the door and walked toward Damon's car through the mucky grass.

"So, where's this bar?" she asked as she swung the passenger door open and hopped in.

"It's just about a fifteen minute drive," Damon said as he looked at Elena. "Near the club where Caroline threw your party,"

Elena looked up at him, and she felt her cheeks flame with the intensity of Damon's stare.

"I want to kiss you," he whispered softly as his gaze fell to her lips, but Elena couldn't ignore the heat in his eyes as he said it.

"Then kiss me," she replied shyly as she looked at him.

Without hesitating, Damon's head slowly came closer to Elena's and as it did, her heart rate picked up as well.

Elena felt the shock of electricity run through her lips as Damon's mouth made contact with hers. They were soft and tender, not passionate and fiery like they were when they had kissed her last night. Elena felt her stomach float up to the heavens. As quick as it took for Elena to feel her stomach stir, his lips molded against hers, faster and harder. Elena felt her head become fluffy with emptiness apart from the thought of Damon and his lips.

"D-Damon," Elena breathed against his mouth as she felt his strong hands cup her face.

She loved the taste of his breath blending with her own. Elena felt his skilled tongue stroke hers as it entered her mouth.

She felt Damon's arms wrapping around her, and as much as she loved the feel of it, she had to stop this before it went any further.

_She wasn't ready for that._

"We should go," Elena pulled away, breathing heavily. Her head was spinning, as if Damon's lips were some type of hazy drug that she was quickly becoming addicted to. Her heart had just been on the brink of exploding, and if she hadn't stopped the kiss, then it certainly would have.

"Yeah," Damon said as he pulled into the road.

"So, where's this bar?" she asked as she looked at him.

_You already asked that, stupid._

"Oh, just on the edge of town."

"What? Then why did you want me to come with you? I thought the ride was longer than a few minutes," Why had he told her that if it was not true at all?

"No, I said that It's a _boring _ride. Not a _long _one. And I wanted to spend time with you," He reached down to give her hand a gentle squeeze.

Elena had meant to reply, but what would she say? She wanted to spend time with him as well, but for some reason she couldn't say it. And she _hated _it.

"Oh," She sighed, biting her lip. She hoped that Damon hadn't noticed her reaction, and when he rolled down the window and turned the volume on the stereo up, she knew that he hadn't.

* * *

The bar was a dimly lit room with dozens of neon signs on the walls, supporting sporting teams and beer brands. Rock music played in the background as many men and some women sat at the wooden tables, drinking or playing poker. In one corner, there was group of guys huddled near a flat screen that hung on the wall. Squinting, Elena saw that there was an intense football game going on. One man shot up out of his seat as he yelled "Bullshit! That was safe!" She scoffed. How men could get lost in the world of sports. There was a group of guys and a few young-looking girls over at the pool table in the corner. Elena looked around. It was a nice place.

"Damon!"

Elena looked over as a tall man, maybe in his early to mid-thirties, walked behind a mahogany bar and over to them, grinning.

"Ric," Damon smiled genuinely as the sandy-haired man engulfed him in a friendly hug.

"Good to see you, buddy," Ric smiled as he let go of Damon. He turned to look at Elena.

"Who's this?" His expression was one that told Elena that he knew who she was.

Damon coughed. "Ric, this is my girlfriend, Elena," Elena's heart fluttered with happiness when she heard Damon call her his girlfriend.

_Was that what they were? Boyfriend/girlfriend? _They hadn't exactly clarified that last night. But she wasn't about to argue with him.

Elena-" Damon gestured to the man in front of her.

"Alaric Saltzman," he held out his hand, which Elena took." Fine owner of this establishment. It's nice to meet you. Damon's told me a lot about you,"

"It's nice to meet you, Alaric," Elena smiled, her mind on the last of his words.

_What exactly had he been blabbing off to his friend? _

"Please, call me Ric," Alaric smiled, and Elena liked him immediately.

"Thanks for that, Ric," Damon retorted.

"So, Damon. Could you help me in the back?" Ric motioned toward a door behind him.

"Oh, yeah. Sure," Damon nodded at Ric, who headed toward the door. Damon turned to Elena.

"So, I have to help Ric with some things back there, so do you wanna just sit around and hang out until I'm finished?" Damon said softly. His tone sounded like he thought that she would be reluctant.

"Yeah, sure. I'll just wait out here. Bye, Damon," Elena touched his arm, immediately noticing his gaze drift down to her hand. Elena quickly took it away, blushing.

"I'll be quick," he told her and left to follow Ric.

* * *

It had been nearly forty five minutes since Damon disappeared with Ric. She was slowly drifting, and every second she woke, she noticed it had only been five minutes.

"Ready?"

Elena looked up to see Damon walking toward her, and Ric not far behind him.

"Yeah," she replied as she got up and slung her purse over her shoulder. "That was quick." she noticed as Damon arrived at the table.

"Yeah, turns out that it wasn't as bad as we thought,"

"Thanks again for coming, Damon. And it was nice to meet you, Elena," Ric held out his hand to her once again, his green eyes warm.

"You too, Ric." Elena smiled as she felt his hand in hers.

"See you later, Ric," Damon took Elena's hand, to her surprise, and led her out of the bar.

"He's nice," Elena said as soon as they were out of the bar.

"Yeah, Ric's a good buddy," Damon nodded as they approached his car.

"How did you two meet?" Elena opened the passenger door to Damon's car and slid in.

"He used to live in Mystic Falls," Damon told her as he pulled out of the parking lot.

Elena's eyebrows raised. "Really?"

Damon nodded. "Way back when, after high school, I was looking for a job, and he hired me to help him with some inventory at his old place. When he told me he'd be relocating to Richmond, I was shocked. I told him that if I ever was in the Richmond area, that I'd stop in for a visit. Ever since I've arrived here, I've come here nearly every night."

_Speaking of.._

"Why _did _you move here?" Elena asked. It was a little _too _suspicious that Damon would move. _Didn't Caroline have a theory that he was looking for her?_

"I wasn't following you, if that's what you mean," Damon smirked as he took a left turn.

"I was planning on moving here in a few months, but I found a great place for a good deal and jumped."

"So, why reach out to Caroline? She told me that you messaged her about her party, and she thought that you were looking for me," Elena took a deep breath suddenly. How would Damon react to _that_?

"Well, in a way, I wanted to find you, you know that," Damon sighed as Elena noticed his grip on the steering wheel tighten.

_"_So you knew that I would be at her party," Elena concluded. Caroline was right. _Of course she was, she talked to him._

"Not exactly," Damon ran a hand through his hair. "I knew it was a possibility, but I didn't actually_ expect_ to find you in person."

"Oh," Elena wasn't sure how she was supposed to take in this information.

"Can I ask you something, Elena?" Damon looked at her, worry in his eyes.

"Sure," she nodded, bracing herself.

"My stepmom and dad are throwing a charity function for their foundation." Damon said. "Wait, your parents? I thought your dad was ... ill," _Hadn't he told her that? Or was that some imagination?_

"He is. But he's in remission. The cancer is still there, but it's not growing." he corrected.

"Oh, that's amazing!" Elena exclaimed, and cleared her throat when she saw Damon's jaw tense. "So, what's the charity for?"

"Cancer research," he smirked as Elena felt like smacking herself on the head.

_Of course._

"Oh, yeah. So what did you want to ask me?" Elena reminded him as she played with the tips of her hair.

Damon cleared his throat. "They're hosting a function tomorrow night, and I was wondering if you'd attend it with me."

_What?_

When Elena looked up at Damon, she saw sincerity in his eyes.

_Damon was inviting her to a charity function at his parents'?_

Elena found herself nodding immediately.

"I'd love to," she smiled.

"Great," Damon looked over at her, his eyes alight with relief.

_Was he nervous about asking her?_

Damon was _never _nervous. Well, not the 'old' Damon. This new Damon was surprising her at every turn. Deciding to ignore it, she sat up.

"Damon, can you drop me off at work?" Elena asked.

"Certainly," he nodded as he signaled right.

* * *

Elena ran from the bus stop to the club. She was ten minutes late. The ride home had taken longer than she thought due to rush hour, the awkwardness between her and Damon louder than a band of fireworks. She sighed. _It just took some time getting used to it._ She was certain that it was all her that made it awkward. By his own admission, Damon had been stuck on her for some time. _Just how stuck? _Elena vaguely wondered as the front door to the club came into view. As soon as she was inside, Elena let out a sigh of relief. Kol wouldn't penalize her, but she still liked to show up on time.

"Elena! What time is it?"

Elena turned to see Kol standing impatiently.

"Kol! Sorry I'm late," she smiled apologetically.

"I asked you what time it is," he snarled.

_Come again? _He'd never cared about her being late to work before, so why _now?_

Elena felt Kol's eyes on her as she looked at her watch nervously."Five-ten,"

_She was beginning to detest him for making her feel like a disobedient child._

"And what time do you begin work at?" he snapped.

"Five," she said softly. _Damn. Why was he so angry? It was beginning to piss her off._

"Exactly," he said. "Don't be late again."

Elena nodded, confusion looming. "I-I'm sorry, it won't happen again," she told him, trying desperately to sound confident.

"Good," he said, softer. "You forgot your jacket here last night," Kol said as he held out her black hoodie.

"Oh, I didn't even notice it was missing." she frowned as she took it. _Of course, she was too preoccupied with Damon to notice. _"Thank you,"

"Get to work," Kol hissed as he walked away.

_What the hell was his problem?_

* * *

It was nearing the end of Elena's shift as she was cleaning the bar. The sky outside had gone from an opaque color to a navy color.

Elena was filling up drinks as she saw Rebekah take a seat at the bar. "Can I have a glass of _any _wine? I don't care which one, I just _need a drink_." Rebekah groaned.

"Sure. What's wrong?" Elena asked as she poured a glass of whiskey and handed it to Rebekah.

"Thanks. Kol's been on my tail _all_ day," Rebekah scoffed as she took a large sip of the wine.

"Why?"

"He thinks that we're not trying hard enough to find a new dancer," Rebekah took a straw as she stuck it into her glass and stirred her drink.

_"What?_ Has he forgotten what happened?" Elena hissed as she handed the glasses to another waitress. It was obvious why Rebekah and the others were struggling to find a new dancer. And it was ridiculous that Kol was being so insensitive about the matter.

"I know! We've been looking _everywhere_, but it's just too hard to find someone as good as _she_ was,"

"Well, Kol seems to be pissing everybody off today," Elena leaned over the counter.

"What did he do to you?" Rebekah leaned in further.

"I got here ten minutes late, and he _literally _castigated me about it," Elena scowled. "I don't know what the hell his problem is today,"

"Me neither,"

"So, you and Damon kissed,"

Elena's hand froze in place as she looked up at Rebekah.

"H-How do you know about that?" she wondered. She didn't tell her about last night.

Rebekah set the glass down and slid it over to Elena who refilled it. "I saw you guys last night through the window. It seemed like you guys were arguing."

Elena sighed as she handed Rebekah the refilled glass. "We were, but it's all sorted out,"

"What were you guys fighting about?" Rebekah asked as she took a sip.

"Damon was just mad about Kol,"

"Why? Was he jealous or something?" Rebekah laughed.

"I think so,"

"Why would he be jealous of _Kol?_" Rebekah made a face and Elena laughed.

"He thinks that there's something going on between us,"

Rebekah's eyebrows rose. "Is there?"

Elena shook her head. "No. Kol's not exactly my type, and even if he was, I wouldn't cross_ that_ line."

"Well, good for you," Rebekah raised her glass toward Elena.

"What the hell?"

Elena and Rebekah whipped around to see Kol standing beside them, looking in their direction.

_Crap._ _They were definitely in for it now. Especially if he'd heard a majority of their conversation._

However, Elena noticed that he _wasn't _actually staring at them.

As she turned, she was met with an image that she never thought she'd have to see again.

It was Maymont Park.

On the flatscreen that hung above the entrance, Channel 11 News was running.

"...Nearly an hour ago, Police reports confirmed that the fire that occurred at Maymont Park earlier this week _was _in fact arson."

* * *

Elena's heart froze as she could hear a pin drop.

_Oh, no. No, no, no, no._

Someone _had _set that fire intentionally, and the fact that it was _so _close to when she and Damon were there was _no_ coincidence. She felt like her world was about to come crashing down on her. And it was all her fault.

"Who the bloody hell is crazy enough to commit arson?"

Rebekah's snide comment was worlds away from Elena's mind.

Damon was still unaware of the entire thing, or else he no doubt would've mentioned something to her. Her safety was like a million dollar glass vase to him. What was she supposed to do? Surely, she would have to tell him. She would not let someone who was out to get her harm anyone else close to her.

"Elena?" Rebekah's concerned voice reluctantly dragged Elena back to the present.

"Yes," she felt her heart accelerating out of control. She needed to talk to Damon, ASAP.

"Are you alright?"

Elena nodded so fast that she felt her neck nearly snap. "Yes, I'm fine. Listen, Rebekah, I have to leave, I have an emergency that I need to take care of. Can you cover for me?"

Rebekah smiled as she nodded. "Of course, Elena. Don't worry."

"Thank you _so_ much, Rebekah," Elena breathed, relieved. "I'll see you later,"

As soon as Elena was outside in the chilly winded night, she hastily retrieved her phone and dialed his number. She ignored the fact that her hands were shaking.

_He was going to be so pissed that she hadn't told him sooner. _

_"Elena?" _Damon answered quickly.

"Damon," she breathed, feeling her stomach flop.

_She and everyone that she cared about was in danger, and there was no more denying it. The person that had set that fire had meant to get to her. They meant it as a hidden message._

_And that message chilled her to the bone. _

She wasn't safe anymore.

_And neither was he._

_"Sure, I'll be right there. What's wrong?"_

Elena took a deep and steady breath.

_Here goes nothing._

"There were reports about somebody setting fire to Maymont Park."

_"What are you trying to say?"_ Damon's wary tone was enough to make Elena fear his reaction after he heard the next words that would leave her mouth.

"It was less than ten minutes after we left Saturday night, Damon,"

All Elena heard was the engine of a car starting and then the line went dead.

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	10. Nine

**CHAPTER 9:**

Elena stood outside in the winds of the coming winter. It had been nearly five minutes since she'd called Damon about the arson at Maymont. She was beginning to think that he wasn't going to come until she saw a bright set of headlights emerge in the distance.

Elena let out a sigh of relief.

_He wasn't mad enough to leave you alone in the cold._

Of course not, Damon was too protective and worried about her to just leave her alone.

Damon's car quickly pulled into the lot that Elena was standing beside.

"Damon, thank god," Elena swallowed as she went to stand by his window.

"Get in the car, _now._" Damon snapped as she bent to look at him. Absentmindedly, she backed away.

_Damn, he was scary when he was angry. And when he was angry, he was unpredictable._

Damon's eyes were now blazes of fire as they regarded Elena more angrily.

"So help me, Elena, if you don't get in the god damn car-"

"I'm going to get in, just please don't be angry at me," she whimpered nervously as she slowly opened the passenger door and slid in.

_"Angry?"_ he laughed coldly. "Elena, I'm _infuriated _with you."

_Not good._

"Okay, then, _infuriated,"_ Elena muttered as she slid her safety belt on.

"Wait, where are we going?" Elena asked nervously when she saw Damon pass her turn to her house. It was already bad enough that he was angry with her, no, _infuriated _with her. Now he was whisking her away to safety in some tower.

_Too theatrical._

"My apartment,"

"What? Why?" The panic in Elena's voice was obvious as she looked around frantically.

"Because there's _no _way in _hell _you are going back to your house after some psychopath, who I assume is the same sleezeball who wrote that blackmail note, burnt down the park that we just so happened to be at."

"Damon, that's not... Oh, god," Elena's hand darted to her mouth, fear in her wide eyes.

_No, no, no._

"What is it?" Damon snapped.

"Jeremy! We have to go back to get Jeremy!" Elena exclaimed as she looked back towards the turn that Damon had missed.

"Elena, I need to get you somewhere safe!"

_"Damn it,_ Damon, I will _jump _out of this car _right this second _if you don't turn around _now," _Elena threatened as tears were clouding her vision.

_Please let Jeremy be safe._

"God damn it, Elena," Damon snarled as he took a sharp U-turn.

"Thank you," she breathed.

"You should call or text him to tell him that we're coming to get him and to be ready." Damon's voice was the softest it had been since he'd picked her up.

"Right," Elena nodded, whipping out her phone and dialing Jeremy's phone.

_"Hello?" _

_Oh, thank god he was okay!_

"Jeremy! Where are you?" Elena shouted, afraid of his answer.

_"At home. Why?"_

"Jer, stay inside until I get there. _Don't _leave the house!" she ordered, her voice shaking.

_If anything bad were to happen to Jeremy..._

_"Why, what the hell's going on?" _Jeremy asked suspiciously.

Elena paused. _What could she tell him?_ He didn't know anything about the note, of the fire.

"I'll explain later," she sighed. "Just _please, _Jer, don't leave the house until we get there," Elena pleaded.

_"Wait, 'we'? Who are you with?"_

Not having time to debate telling him, she gave in.

"Damon. He and I are headed home to get you. I'll call when we're out front."

_"Yeah, sure. Bye," _Jeremy's confused voice replied.

Elena pressed the end button on her phone, storing it in her purse.

"You didn't tell him," Damon said quietly as he remained to look straight ahead.

Elena looked at him. "He's nineteen, Damon. He can't deal with this yet," she told him as she felt her stomach grow with anxiety.

_He's fine._

"Elena, he's an adult. He can decide what he wants to deal with and how he wants to deal with it," Damon reminded her, and Elena frowned, knowing he was one-hundred percent right.

"I'm not getting into this right now, Damon," Elena snapped tiredly. Damon was one of the _very _few people who hadn't always agreed with her decisions. He'd always question them, the justification, and her true feelings behind them. He could read her as if she were a transparent book.

_And that pissed her the hell off._

"Fine with me." he shrugged as he turned down her street.

"I'll be right back," Elena announced as she jumped out from the car and ran toward the front door before Damon could protest or disagree.

Her fist met the door harshly as she waited for Jeremy to answer.

"Damn it, Jer! Answer the door!" Elena demanded. In the next second or two, Elena's fist was now knocking on thin air.

"Jeremy, thank _god!"_ Elena threw her arms around his neck the second that she saw his shocked face.

"Elena, what the _hell _is going on?" he snapped as she squeezed him tightly.

"I'll explain in the car. Come on, Jer, we _have _to go _now!"_ Elena tugged at his hand, and he was dragged across the front lawn and into the backseat of Damon's car. Elena hopped into the passenger's side once again.

"Damon," Jeremy nodded

"Jer," Damon acknowledged as he pulled on his safety belt.

"What the hell has got my sister in doomsday mode?" Jeremy asked.

"I'll let her explain that to you sometime. Right now, we need to head to my place."

"Wait, why the hell-?" Jeremy hissed.

"It's not safe at your sister's house anymore," Damon spoke calmly, but Elena knew that he was anything but.

"How far away is your house?" Elena asked, searching Damon's face.

"About ten minutes." He said as he signaled to get onto the highway.

"I thought you lived in Richmond," Jeremy spoke up in confusion.

"I do. It's not usually a long drive, but considering the time of day, it's a bit longer."

"Oh," Jeremy said.

Elena sighed as she looked out the window as silence filled the car. Damon turned the radio up a bit, which she assumed was to fill the void.

* * *

It was nearing ten minutes as Elena turned to see Damon pulling into a parking lot that was connected to the most expensive looking building that she'd ever seen.

"This is where you _live?_" Elena's eyes widened as she took in the building. It was the tallest building that she'd seen. It was tan, with many floor-length glass windows hanging on the walls of it's exterior. It was absolutely gorgeous.

"Yes. Let's go," Damon urged Elena and Jeremy to continue walking toward the main doors, but they were too mesmerized by the beauty of the building.

"Elena. Jeremy," Damon's stern voice snapped angrily.

"Dude, chill," Jeremy put his hand in front of Damon. "It's not like there's someone following us,"

Elena felt her teeth biting into her lower lip as she stifled a laugh.

_Jer, you don't know the half of it._

"Wanna bet?" Damon said darkly through clenched teeth as Elena shook out of her silent laughter and headed toward the front with Damon beside her and Jeremy reluctantly her.

If Elena thought that the exterior of the building was spectacular, then there were no words for the interior of the place.

Marble floors and golden desks came into view as she walked further into the lobby. There was a beautiful velvet, ruby-stained carpet that lay down in a path to the front elevators, and Elena had vaguely remembered her prom.

"What floor do you live on?" Jeremy asked as he approached them.

"Penthouse," Damon said dismissively as the Elevator pinged, signaling its arrival.

Elena heard the faint sound of piano music soothing in the background as she stepped in, followed by Damon and Jeremy.

"_Damn,_ that's a price tag that I couldn't dream of," Jeremy said incredulously as he stared at Damon.

"The company helped pay for it," Damon shrugged.

"Oh, right."

Elena wanted to say something, but she knew that Damon was still upset with her, even if he was choosing to ignore it for the time being.

* * *

As the elevator doors slowly slid open, Elena gasped.

It was absolutely foreign. The room was one giant room, and everywhere she looked, Elena saw wood floors and floor-length glass walls. The skyline hid behind them, bright and beautiful. There was a balcony at the very front of the room, and Elena instantly wanted to go out there and look at the world that Damon had at his feet.

"This place is amazing," Elena breathed as she looked around in every direction.

"Thank you," Damon's velvet voice said."I'll be right back. Make yourselves comfortable." he said as he wandered into a room and closed the door.

"Jer, look at this place!" Elena squealed as she giggled. She was drunk on the beauty of Damon's apartment, and Jeremy stood in the entrance hall, looking struck with lightning.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked, wandering back over to him.

"I still don't know why we're here," he said menacingly, and Elena's mood dropped below zero.

_She was entering the danger zone._

"It's...complicated, Jer, but we can't stay at home now," she said hesitantly.

"So we're just supposed to stay here cooped up in Damon's penthouse for_ how long?" _Jeremy scoffed.

"I don't know, Jer. I will tell you why we're here, but if I do, you have to promise me that you will stay out of it. And you can leave if you want to stay out of harm's way."

Taking a deep breath, Elena rehashed the story to Jeremy, who's face broadcast several emotions as she did. When she was done, anger was boiling in his dark eyes.

"What? There's no way I'm leaving you alone to deal with this psycho stalker, Elena," he said sharply.

Jeremy was like Damon. _Overload protectiveness._

"She wont be alone, she'll be safe with me," Damon wandered into the main room as he came to stand by Elena.

_So much for 'I'll be right back', _Elena thought as she rolled her eyes.

It was both a shock and a comforting feeling knowing that Damon was now holding her hand.

When Elena looked closer at Jeremy's face, he looked about to question the gesture. Before he could object or question, Elena spoke quickly.

"Jer, I want you to go stay with some friends for the time being. I don't want you to get caught up in this."

"No, _hell _no. You can't tell me what to do anymore, Elena. I'm nineteen. I am an adult who can make my own decisions." Jeremy defended and Elena shook her head sadly. _Her brother was so stubborn. _

"I _know,_ Jer, but this is _so _dangerous, even for _me_! Don't you _get_ it? Otherwise Damon wouldn't have taken us away from home," Elena reminded him. She knew that he was hellbent on staying to protect her, but Elena would never forgive herself if Jeremy was injured, or worse, in the end.

"Say what you want, Elena, but I'm _not_ leaving." Jeremy said menacingly, and Elena Frowned.

"Jeremy-" Elena began, but stopped when Jeremy shook his head angrily as he walked past her and Damon.

"Third door on the right, Jer," Damon told him, and Jeremy entered that door.

"Jer!" Elena called, moving to follow him, but felt Damon grab her arm.

"Elena, let him cool off," he advised carefully.

Elena scoffed as she shook her head.

"Damon, I _can't_ just let him _stay_ here with us!" Elena whimpered as she whipped around to face him.

"I know, Elena, I _know!"_ Damon cupped her face, and Elena felt her cheeks flame with his close proximity. When she looked into his eyes. she was silenced.

_They were so blue._

"Just let him cool down for a while, maybe talk to him later," he said softly as his eyes ran across her face.

"I don't want you to worry, Elena. It's all going to be okay, I promise," Damon breathed as his gaze drifted down to her lips. Elena swallowed and closed her eyes, leaning into his touch.

"Damon," she breathed, and whether it was a plea for him to stop or continue, she couldn't tell. His touch was some sort of magical secret distraction weapon of his that unraveled her emotions, and she didn't like it _one bit_. She wasn't used to showing her emotions. She'd spent so long burying them.

_Damn him. _

His lips silenced her, sweet and soft. Elena felt them molding against her lips as he planted kiss after kiss on them. Suddenly, a shock of electrical heat was flaming her blood, and was now settling in the abyss of her stomach. Elena's hands instantly wrapped around Damon's neck, and she felt her body being pressed against Damon's as his arms curled around her tiny waist, pulling her to him.

"Oh, god," Elena hissed as his hand slid under her shirt and caressed her back, sending shivers of pleasure up her bare spine.

"So beautiful," Damon whispered softly against her lips, and Elena's heart nearly jumped out of her chest. Her legs were now rapidly turning to melted chocolate as if Damon's kisses were kisses from the sun.

A cough forced the magical spell that was cast upon them to shatter. Elena whipped around, seeing Jeremy standing, looking as if he'd stepped in something nasty.

"Ugh, guys, cut it with the PDA," he said as he walked into the room.

Elena didn't know what to say as a response. Elena couldn't tell if he was 'cooled off' yet, but if he wasn't, she wasn't about to bring that still sore subject to the table.

"I'm going to call some pizza in tonight. What kind do you want?" Damon asked as he walked away from Elena and over to the living room area and pulled out his phone. Unexpectedly, Elena missed the warmth that Damon had provided her. She wrapped her arm around herself, but it just wasn't the same as his.

_What the hell was wrong with her?_

"Doesn't matter, but thanks," Jeremy told Damon as he came to sit down with him in the living room area.

"Elena?"

Elena broke free from her mind and glanced up at Damon.

"Oh, er, cheese, I guess. Thank you," she smiled as she was still fuzzed with confusion.

_Damon was getting under her skin._

_And it was going to destroy her._

* * *

It had been a bit since the pizza arrived, and Elena stood outside on Damon's balcony, looking out onto the skyline. The sky was a navy blue, sprinkled with specks of white stars. The buildings were glittering with light, and there was a slight breeze in the air. Elena wrapped her robe tighter around her.

"I think I'm going to bed. Goodnight, guys." Jeremy yawned, and Elena turned around.

"Goodnight, Jer." She waved, watching Damon pat him on the back and murmur something to him. Once she saw that Damon was heading towards her, she turned around.

_This wasn't going to go well._

The sound of the sliding glass door squeaking alerted Elena to Damon's presence.

"Alright, Jer's in bed and we're alone. Spill."

Elena looked over at Damon, and his expression was hard and expectant. She saw a flash of impatience in his blue eyes, and it made her shudder.

"That night, after I told you about the night of Prom, I saw a report that Maymont Park had gone up in flames," Elena was walking on thin ice, and she didn't know when it would crack. "I thought that it was _no_ coincidence that we had _just _been there,"

"So you think that someone intentionally set it on fire," Damon concluded coldly.

_Any second, now._

"Yeah, I guess. I didn't let myself get worried, or even let myself tell you, until there was solid evidence that it _was _arson. And tonight, I saw that it was, and I panicked."

Damon was silent, and Elena was one hundred percent that she had begun to sink into the ice.

"Damn it, Elena!" Damon nearly shouted, making Elena jump. "God, you should have told me sooner! Especially since you're being targeted by some mass psycho killer!"

Elena swallowed fearfully as her eyes blurred with tears.

_She was so sick of arguing with him. It almost always reduced her to tears. _

"I know, Damon, and I'm sorry. I-I just didn't want to worry you," she whimpered as she slowly got up out of her seat.

"_Worry_ me?" Damon scoffed darkly, and Elena's skin was crawling. "Jesus, Elena, do you _ever _tell me _anything?"_

"I've told you everything now!" she exclaimed, her heart pounding. "I'm safe here, so it's alright."

"Is this the same psycho who's blackmailing you?" Damon's eyes widened in what Elena assumed was fear.

"I don't know," she said softly. "How could we even know who they are?"

Damon sighed. "I honestly don't know how."

Elena swallowed, thinking further.

How _were _they going to find this person? They had no leads, no suspects, _nothing._

"Hey," Damon's blue eyes pierced hers in determination. "We will find them. We will find this asshole and stop them." he told her.

"Damon," Elena whispered cautiously. She cupped his face in her hands, urging him to listen closely. "I'm safe now, and I don't know who this person is, but I'm safe. Can't you just be happy with that for now?"

Elena could feel Damon's tense jaw, but she was hoping that he would let it go.

"I can't help it that I worry about you, Elena," he whispered brokenly and Elena felt her heart being squeezed.

"I understand that, Damon. Just _please_, for _me_, don't overanalyze things right now," she said softly as she felt herself being pulled to his eyes. She wanted to kiss him, but his mood was so shaky right now. So instead of kissing him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed him in a hug.

"I'm tired. I think I'll go to bed now. What time is this function tomorrow?" Elena wondered, smiling. She was actually looking forward to the event.

"Shit," Damon hissed as he ran a hand through his hair. "I forgot about that. It's at 5:30."

"I have work tomorrow, Damon," Elena gasped. After all of this hysteria that was Damon's arrival back into her life, Elena had completely lost track of the time.

"You can take a day off," He told her. "I'm sure_ Kol_ won't mind,"

Elena felt her blood run cold as Kol came into her mind. He was pissed at her when she'd last seen him. She didn't want to deal with him asking her why she had to leave.

"Fine," she shrugged. "What kind of event is this again?"

"It's a charity function. Suit and tie," he said softly and Elena gasped.

"Oh, god, I have nothing to wear!" She had left all of her dresses at her house, no doubt. And Damon wasn't nearly close to letting her go back there until..._until when?_

"Call Caroline. I'm sure she'll be _more _than willing to take you out to get one," he suggested.

Elena flinched. Caroline and Shopping were like Yin and Yang. But shopping _with Caroline_ was like taking a screwdriver into your eyeballs. But she was all out of options.

"Yeah, I guess that will have to do," she sighed dejectedly.

_Wait till Care knows about us._

"Goodnight, Damon," Elena said tiredly as she headed into the apartment.

"Goodnight, Elena,"

Sliding the glass door shut behind her, Elena wandered into the room that Damon had arranged for her. It was pure white inside, with a beautiful bed in the center of the room. Nothing else really occupied the room, but it was roomy enough for her. She would've been satisfied with just slumbering on the couch, but Damon was against that.

As she dug out her phone from her pocket of her fluffy white robe, she shut the door behind her and plopped down on the bed.

_"Hello, stranger,"_ Caroline's mock sultry voice replayed.

"Hey, Care, sorry it's been a few days since I've called." She had been so busy with Damon and his confessions to realize that there were other people in her life.

_"That's fine. Why are you calling so late?" _

"I need a small favor," Elena said uncertainly as she played with the strings on the comforter. Caroline was still unaware of her and Damon's ..._revised _relationship. And Elena wasn't willing to talk for two and a half hours. But she needed an appropriate dress to wear for tomorrow night. _Just do it!_

_"And what would that be?" _Caroline wondered.

_Damn it, just spit it out!_

"Damon invited me to some charity event at his parents' tomorrow night, and I have no dress-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa._ Did I hear you right? Did you just say _Damon_ invited you to some charity event? As in a _date _event thing? What the hell has happened in the last two days between you two?"_ Caroline's gasps were like piercing drums to Elena's ears.

_God, Caroline._

"I'll tell you tomorrow, but can you help me?" she asked hopefully.

_God, she hated asking for things. _She'd been on her own for so long.

_"Duh!"_ Caroline squealed. _"But_ don't_ think that you're getting off that easily, Gilbert!"_ Caroline snapped.

"Thank you, Care." Elena sighed in relief. "I'll call you in the morning and we'll figure something out," she told Caroline.

_"Okay. Bye,"_ Caroline sang as Elena rolled her eyes.

_Caroline was in for a real story._

* * *

Elena was lying in bed, trying with everything in her to go to sleep, and when she _finally _managed to _half-asleep,_ the doorbell rang.

Elena looked up toward the door.

_What time was it?_

Elena glanced at the alarm next to her pillow.

_Ten forty-eight. _Elena frowned.

_Who was visiting Damon at this hour?_

"Elena?"

Jeremy's hesitant voice was what lured her out of bed to see what was going on.

As she opened the door, Elena felt her body flooding with anxiety.

Walking down the hallway, half of the front room was in view along with Jeremy, and his face only furthered her worry.

"Jer?" she asked softly as she continued walking toward him. "What's wrong? Why are you just standing there?"

Jeremy's mouth opened and closed so many times that Elena was certain that she was experiencing whiplash.

_What the hell was going on? Had something bad happened? Why was Jeremy so hesitant?_

When Elena turned the corner to see the entire front entrance, however, she was now face to face with her answer.

A young, short-haired brunette woman dressed in a red turtleneck and black slacks stood in front of Elena, smiling. However the smile didn't reach the woman's brown eyes. It wasn't_ that_ that shocked Elena. It was what the brunette was holding close to her body.

"Elena?" Damon's voice came from the balcony, and Elena froze.

In a moment, Damon was wandering into the front room.

"What the hell's going-?"

But Damon was silenced with the exact view that Elena was just moments ago.

She was still in shock. She honestly couldn't wager who was more shocked between the two them.

"Who are you guys?" Damon asked the brunette cautiously, who was holding a young child, a boy, in her arms.

_Holy mother of-_

"Damon," Elena swallowed. "This is Meredith Fell. And that's Ryan..." _Breathe!_ "M-my son,"

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	11. Ten

**AN: **My apologies with the brief/rushed chapter! I was in a bit of a hurry to get another one out to you guys and I wanted to continue, but this was the best place to end it. This is a filler but important chapter and next chapter will be REALLY long, I promise! Once again, thank you to my usual reviewers! I literally would not be continuing this story if you guys weren't updating! I can hardly believe that this is the TENth chapter! So please, if you haven't reviewed, I would REALLY appreciate the support!

Thanks again!

* * *

**CHAPTER 10:**

_September 2008_

"What are you going to do?"

Elena sat in the coffee shop across from her friend Meredith Fell, a doctor at the local Hospital.

"What?" Elena looked up at her friend, blinking.

_She'd been zoning. Damn_.

"What are you going to do?" Meredith repeated softly. Elena loved that Meredith was always so sensitive towards others, and she always knew the right thing to say. "About the baby?" Meredith asked, frowning.

"I don't know. I'm just still in shock, you know?" Elena chuckled as she twirled a mix stick in her drink.

_Would she ever get used to the idea of having a baby?_

"Are you going to find out what it is?"

"I don't think I could survive that. I'm probably not going to keep it."

Meredith's eyes widened. "What? Why?"

Elena took a deep breath as she lovingly rubbed her swollen stomach, and she hated the fact that her eyes were now cloudy with tears. "Because as much as I want to take care of my baby, I can't provide the necessary things for him or her. I'm broke, I'm single, and I'm not emotionally ready to be a mother, let alone the kind of mother who my baby needs. And I can't do that to my baby," she whispered.

_She wouldn't._

"So, what are you going to do? Give him or her up for adoption?" Meredith wondered.

"Probably. The trouble will be finding the right couple that I feel comfortable with raising my child. I don't know anything about that stuff. And how would I? I'm Eighteen," she looked down at her chocolate drink.

Meredith's hand reached over and squeezed hers, and Elena's eyes shot up, alarmed.

_It's just Meredith. You're fine._

"Elena, I know this is all so much for you, and at such a young age." she said soothingly. "But it's okay if you want to keep the baby. I could help you. I've known you for your entire life, and Brian and I wouldn't think twice about helping you out,"

Elena considered it. But she was being a burden. Meredith couldn't have children, so Elena knew that Meredith wouldn't have trouble accepting a child into her family, but a teenage runaway as well?

"I can't let you guys do that for me, as grateful as I am. But my baby doesn't ... doesn't belong with me." It was like a knife stabbing her heart. "I'll figure something out. Soon," she nodded as she wiped a tear from her eye.

* * *

Elena's anxiety grew as Damon continued to stare at her. Damn, this was a bad time. Why were they even there? How did Meredith even know that she was there?

Elena smiled at Meredith and her son, tears filling her eyes. She was so overwhelmed with seeing Ryan. It had been nearly a year since the last visit. _And he was so big now._

"E-yena!"

Elena's heart broke as she heard her son say her name._ He could talk!_

"Hi, sweetie," Elena smiled through her tears as she moved over towards Meredith and Ryan, who held Ryan out for Elena to take. He was so warm, and Elena was a mess of emotions as she took him in her hands.

"I-I mi-missed you!" he giggled as he hugged her neck.

_Oh, god._

"Oh, I missed you too, sweetie," Elena chuckled.

"Hey, little guy. Long time, huh?" Jeremy finally spoke up.

"Jerr-mee!" Ryan laughed cheerfully as he spotted Jeremy next to Elena.

Elena turned around to face Damon, bracing herself. His blank expression that she'd seen moments ago was now something of awe.

"Ryan, this is my friend, Damon. Can you say 'hi' to him?" she whispered in his tiny ear, which caused him to giggle.

"Mmm-mmm." Ryan shook his head as he buried his face in her hair.

"I think Damon wants you to say hi,"she encouraged with a smile as she glanced at Damon. His eyes were warm as he slowly smiled at her.

"Hi, Mamon," Ryan greeted Damon and Elena smiled in pride.

"Hi, there." Damon chuckled as he waved to Ryan.

_What a relief._

"You have p-wetty hair, E-yena," Ryan smiled as he played with Elena's locks.

"She does," Damon said softly and Elena looked up to see Damon wink at her.

"Thank you," Elena giggled, looking down at Ryan.

"He looks like you," Damon smiled.

"You think?" she wondered. He had brown hair and eyes, but she thought the resemblance stopped there.

"He has your eyes," Damon smirked.

"Yeah, I suppose he does." she blushed.

"What are you doing here? How did you find me?" Elena asked, remembering that Meredith was not just one to drop by, let alone know Elena's every move.

"I need to talk to you about that," Meredith swallowed, and Elena frowned.

"Privately?" Elena asked.

Meredith nodded, and Elena mirrored.

"Jer, could you take him?" Elena gripped Ryan and went to lift him, but Damon spoke up.

"Here. I can take him," he held his hands out for Ryan.

"What?"

_She wasn't expecting that._

"It's fine. I've got him, Elena," Damon nodded in encouragement.

"O-Okay," Elena handed Ryan to Damon.

"I'll be right back, you guys," Elena said as she and Meredith headed into the hall.

"What the _hell_ are you doing here?" Elena hissed once they were alone. "How did you even know where I was?"

Meredith sighed as she crossed her arms. "Jeremy told me," she admitted. "I had to come and see you. I'm so sorry, Elena. I didn't know that you were...whatever you are with Damon, and I didn't know that he didn't know about Ryan,"

Elena shook her head. "He knows. If he didn't know, he would be going ballistic. Trust me. Now what are you doing here?"

"When I heard about the arson at Maymont, I panicked. I just wanted to let you know that we were alright, and when I tried to call you, you didn't answer,"

"Wait, you_ called_ me?" Elena asked as she dug out her phone. She hadn't heard it go off, and she didn't see any notifications, let alone from Meredith.

"Yeah, well, I called your landline. Then, I tried Jeremy, and he replied and said that you two were staying here with Damon for a while."

"Oh, so Jeremy _knew_ that you were coming over?" Elena asked, shocked.

_He didn't think to warn her?_

"Well, technically, I never said that I was coming over. I just wanted to get a hold of you, and he told me where you were, but I never told him that I was coming for sure," Meredith corrected.

"Oh-okay, so what are you doing here so late?" Elena wondered.

Elena was trying to comprehend Meredith's story, but she was so tired and overwhelmed that she just wanted her to get to the point.

Meredith sighed as she tucked a loose strand of brunette hair behind her ear.

"Before I messaged Jeremy, I went over to your house tonight to see if you were alright and I noticed that this was on the stoop."  
Out of her leather purse, Meredith retrieved a parcel and handed it to Elena.

"There's no return address, or one that I could find," Meredith sighed as Elena rolled the parcel in her hands.

"I didn't open it," Meredith said softly.

"Thank you," Elena smiled, her mind fuzzing as she stuck it in her pocket. Who would send her a package without a return address?

_Of course._

_It was another message._

Elena decided then to not open it until after the event tomorrow. Whatever it was, if it was really from this anonymous person that was after her, then neither she nor Damon needed to worry about it until after tomorrow's event was over.

"And that's all I really came for," Meredith shrugged as she smiled wistfully. "It's getting late. We should really head off,"

Elena's heart sank with the thought of her son leaving once again.

"Yeah, I need to get some sleep, and I know that Damon's going to want to talk," she frowned, not looking forward to that conversation.

"So, are you guys like... together now?" Meredith scoffed in disbelief.

"I-I don't know. I suppose, but it's complicated." Elena sighed dejectedly and decided to continue once Meredith nodded expectantly. "He says that he's had some sort of feelings toward me since that night after prom, and I believe him, it's just... I don't know how much," she looked down at her fingers.

Elena really didn't know much about how Damon felt about her, let alone the depths. How much of that had changed since he was reunited with her?

"Do you feel the same way about him?" Meredith wondered.

Elena blinked. She did feel something for Damon, but that something was something she was unacquainted with.

"Yes, I do," she smiled.

"Then what's the problem?" Meredith asked nonchalantly.

"The problem is.._.me._ I've spent _so_ long trying to bury my past, to cover up the part of me that cares. And he's come_ right_ in and ripped that band-aid off," Elena scoffed. Damon was doing so many things to her emotions, and it was just so confusing. Everything about him was confusing.

"It's only complicated if you _make_ it complicated, Elena. Relationships are simpler than we view them. If you're _truly_ willing to give this... _connection_ that you two _clearly_ have a chance, then _do_. Damon's _obviously_ willing to try, and he's meeting you halfway. _You_ have to take that step and that risk.

"If its your_ past_ that's preventing you from happiness, whether with Damon or someone else, then you will _never_ be happy. You _need_ to learn that your past is apart of _who you are_. You can't _change_ it, and so you have to_ deal_ with it.

"If you are worried that this new relationship with Damon will make you vulnerable to emotions that you've never experienced, and that's not what you want, then I suggest that you don't lead him on.

"However, if you _are_ willing to take these risks and see where it goes, then I know that in the end, whatever happens, will be because you _wanted_ to take this risk for the chance to be _happy_ with someone that you care about deeply."

Elena blinked back tears. She was right, no doubt. She would have to either be prepared to be exposed to vulnerable emotions as long as she continues her relationship with Damon, or pull out before anyone gets hurt.

"You sound just like him," Elena smiled as she wiped a tear from her eye.

"Take risks, Elena. _Especially_ if it's your happiness that could benefit in the end."

"Thank you," Elena nodded as she sniffled. "Shall we go in?"

"Yeah," Meredith smiled sympathetically.

Elena opened the door to Damon's apartment, and when she walked in, she was stunned in place.

Damon was sitting on the couch, Ryan asleep in his arms. It looked so natural, so real. Elena smiled at the view, and cleared her throat softly.

_"Damon, Meredith's heading home,"_ she whispered when he looked up at her.

Damon nodded and slowly got up with Ryan. Elena walked over to Damon and took Ryan.

_"Jer?"_ she mouthed.

_"Bed,"_ Damon gestured with his head in the direction of Jeremy's room.

Elena nodded, and when she turned back to Meredith, she handed Ryan to her.

_"Thank you again for stopping by,"_ Elena smiled as Meredith caressed Ryan's head.

_"Yep. I'll see you later. And remember what I told you,"_ Meredith glanced over Elena's shoulder, and Elena knew that she was referring to her advice on her relationship with Damon.

_"I will,"_ Elena told her as she opened the front door and held it open.

_"Goodnight, Elena. Nice to meet you, Damon,"_ Meredith waved as she walked through the door.

_"You too, Meredith,"_ Damon smiled.

_"Bye, Mer,"_ Elena shut the door softly, leaning against it nervously.

Elena looked up through her eyelashes at Damon, who was regarding her impassively.

"What?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. For some reason, it comforted her.

"Nothing. So Meredith adopted your son." he concluded quietly, and Elena noticed the hint of wariness in his tone.

"Yes," She swallowed, confused as she looked down at her feet. _Why wasn't he yelling, or demanding answers?_

"What did she want?"

Elena looked up into Damon's blue eyes, concern evident.

"She just stopped over to talk to me about the arson at Maymont," She prayed that it sounded convincing, even though technically, she wasn't lying about that.

"Oh, right. Didn't you say that she lived over there?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Why did you decide to go to Maymont last Saturday?" He asked quietly. _Too quietly._

Deciding there was no harm in telling him, elena answered truthfully.

"Because Meredith would take Ryan there and she'd always ask me to come along. I stopped going about a year ago."

"Why?"

"That's another story," she said bitterly. She may have to talk with him about why she chose Maymont, but she didn't have to tell him that story yet.

"Okay." He nodded in understanding and Elena thanked her stars that he didn't pressure her into reliving that.

"I'm getting really tired, Damon." She yawned. "I think I'll head back to bed,"

"Alright. Goodnight, Elena," he smiled warmly, and Elena waved.

"Goodnight, Damon."

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	12. Eleven

**AN: **Holy Cow! Chapter 11?!

I cannot comprehend the amount of support this story has received so far. I thank each and every one of you who review (each chapter, or once) favorite, or follow this story! (or all 3!) I am so stoked with how this chapter turned out! Once again, thank you all! PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING!

And as promised, it's a long one! And It's a heavy one!

* * *

**CHAPTER 11:**

The smell of cinnamon woke Elena as she opened her eyes. Where was she? Elena sat up quickly, looking around._ Oh, right. _

_She was at Damon's apartment. _

"Elena!"

Jeremy's voice faintly echoed from the hall, and before Elena could blink, her door was whisked open.

"Oh, good, you're up," he smiled as he leaned on the door frame. "Damon's making breakfast. Do you want anything?"

Suddenly, Elena's stomach rumbled in reply.

"Yeah," she laughed as she ran a hand through her hair. "I'll be out in a minute or two,"

"Okay," Jeremy nodded and closed the door.

Glancing at the clock on her nightstand, it was apparently 10:30. Elena immediately hopped out of bed and got dressed.

* * *

Elena wandered into the kitchen tiredly and spotted the back of Damon at the oven.

"That smells so good. What are you making?"

Damon turned around to face Elena.

"Pancakes and sausage. I hope that's okay," he smiled hopefully.

"No, certainly. I'm just _so _starving, you could make _crap_ and I'd probably eat it," she joked as Damon nodded and returned to cooking.

_Bad joke, Elena._

"So what time are you going out with Caroline?" He asked, causing Elena to gasp.

She had completely forgotten about her plans to go dress shopping with Caroline.

_How many times in her life had she and Caroline been dress shopping? It was becoming a pastime. _

"_Crap._ I_ totally_ forgot about that. I'll call her and find out." she told him as she hurriedly got her phone out. "I'll be out on the balcony."

Once she step foot on the balcony, Elena slid the glass door shut behind her. She was about to dial Caroline's number, but apparently she beat her to it.

"Hi, Care." Elena said cheerfully, despite her wariness._ If Caroline was calling her, then it wasn't usually good news to her._

_"Thank god. Elena, I'm on my way over to your house right now. The road to the mall is having construction done to it, so we'll have to take a detour which will be longer. So get ready." _

_Caroline was on her way to her house?_

_ Crap. _

_Time to come clean._

"Care, wait! I'm not at home," she said quickly.

_"What? Well, where_ are_ you?"_ Caroline scoffed nonchalantly and her tone only made Elena more uncomfortable.

_Wouldn't she like to guess._

"Jer and I are staying with Damon,"

Elena held her breath, waiting for Caroline to freak out.

_"What?!" _She squeaked angrily through the phone. _"What the hell are you doing at_ Damon's?_" _She hissed.

Elena let out her breath.

"It's a long story, Care. I'll tell you on the way to the mall."

Elena mentally noted to pack a bottle of ibuprofen. She was going to need it now if she were going to deal with the retelling of her past few days _and _shop with Caroline.

_"Okay, Where does he live? I'm on my way." _

Elena frowned. She didn't want to leave just yet._ How would she get out of this?_

"I'm not going to be ready for at least forty five minutes, Care. Can I meet you there?" Surely, _Caroline_ of _all_ people wouldn't complain at the thought of wandering the mall alone for a while. Plus, it was the truth. Caroline was already out and on her way to Elena's house, while she had just gotten out of bed not ten minutes ago.

Caroline huffed through the phone._ "Fine. Hurry up, though. Bye." _

_Okay, bye. _

Elena hung up and wandered back into the room.

"So how'd that go?" Damon asked as he set a plate of pancakes on the table that made Elena's mouth watered at the sight of the puffy golden brown pancakes.

"Fine. I'm meeting her at the mall soon." she sighed as she walked into the kitchen.

"Okay, well, you probably should hurry and eat." He gestured to the food on the table.

"Yeah," she agreed as she made her way to the kitchen table and took a seat.

"Thank you for making this, it looks delicious," she smiled as she drizzled syrup on her pancakes.

"No problem," he said. "So do you need a ride to the mall?"

Elena shook her head as she chewed her food.

"No, I'll take the bus," she said, and Damon frowned.

"Elena, don't be ridiculous. I'll drive you," he said sternly.

"Damon-"

"No. And no arguing. Eat. I'll go get ready." and just like that, Elena was left alone at the table, now poking at her food as if it were her worst enemy.

_Damn him and his control issues._

* * *

"Thanks for the ride, Damon," Elena said as he pulled over to the curb of the mall.

"Yep. Caroline's dropping you off, right?" he confirmed as Elena stepped out of the car.

"Yeah, she'll drop me off. Bye," she waved as she shut the door behind her.

Damon smiled and waved to her in return before driving off.

_Taking a deep breath,_ Elena walked into the building.

"There you are!"

_Not even a second before the headaches begin._

Elena slowly, _painfully_, turned to see Caroline stomping toward her with a look of relief.

"Caroline," Elena smiled through clenched teeth. If Damon was still outside, she would no doubt be conflicted with running back to his car.

"Ready?" Caroline squealed, and Elena inwardly groaned.

"Yes. Lets go," she sighed.

_This was going to be a long day. _

* * *

It was 2:20 and Elena sat in Damon's bathroom staring at her reflection as she applied make up to her features. Her long lashes were now thicker with blackened mascara, and her thin lips were now puffed with scarlet lipgloss. Her cheeks were a faint color of rose, and her eyelids were a coffee-colored brown. Her long brown locks were in curling rods, and she was in her fluffy white bathrobe.

She and Caroline had spent a majority of the morning at the mall hunting for a dress to wear to the charity function. They were gone for what seemed like forever, and when Elena called to let Damon know that she was on her way home, he had told her that he wasn't there, and where the spare key was. So, for the last forty-five minutes, she was alone in his overwhelmingly spacious apartment. Jeremy had went to visit a friend that recently moved into town, and Elena and Damon had to head out soon. They were set to leave for the charity function around 2:45, so Damon surely would return soon.

In the background, alternative music crooned from her phone as she stood up to go get her dress that was spread out on the couch in the front room. Once Elena retrieved it, she ran back to the bathroom and slid it on.

It looked like something that Cinderella or Belle or any other princess would wear. Not _her._ She had decided on a beautiful sequined golden dress with splotches of blue and silver that flowed down her body to the ground in a way that a ball gown did. It wasn't so puffy that it looked like a pastry, but it had a little volume in the skirt. The back was exposed, which of course Caroline loved despite Elena's annoyance. She smiled as she slid out of her bathrobe and into the gown. Once she had adjusted it correctly, Elena slowly and carefully released her brown locks from the curling rods and watched as they fell down her front and back, bouncing with volume. She rarely curled her hair, let alone as much as her hair was curled then. Elena took one last look in the mirror at her reflection, and didn't recognize herself. She made a mental note to take a photograph to send to Caroline.

"Elena?" Damon's voice traveled from the front entrance, and Elena looked in that direction.

"I'm in the bathroom, I'll be out in a second," she hollered back as she adjusted her hair, running her hands through the curls to make them more voluptuous. Once she was confident that there was nothing else she could do to them, she took a deep breath and stepped out of the bathroom. And when she did, her breath caught in her throat.

Damon stood in front of her, wearing a white button up shirt, the top two buttons undone. The shirt was tucked into sleek, black dress pants, and he wore an open black dress coat over the shirt. He looked gorgeous.

"Elena, you look..." he breathed as his blue eyes darkened, roaming up and down her body, and for the first time, she wasn't uncomfortable around him.

_Stranger things have happened._

"You look absolutely stunning," He grinned widely, and Elena felt heart skip a beat.

_How did she not notice his beautiful smile before?_

"Thank you," she blushed as she smiled shyly. "You don't look so bad yourself,"

"And thank _you,_" he smirked, and Elena could feel her toes tingle with pleasure.

"So, how long until we're leaving?"

Damon shook his head as if he was distracted and looked at his watch. "We should actually head out now. It's a long drive to Mystic Falls," he said quietly.

_Wait, what?_

"It's in Mystic Falls?" Elena gasped, her nerves reawakening. Damn, of course it was there! His parents still lived there, and she should've known from the early time that they were leaving.

"Yeah," Damon regarded her warily.

"Oh, god. I-I'm not ready to go back there," she whispered, and it wasn't until a few seconds later that she realized that she had spoken them aloud.

_Damn it, Elena, you're thinking out loud._

"It'll be alright, Elena. My parents will be the only people that you know there," Damon said in an attempt to comfort her, and Elena felt no comfort whatsoever.

"No, Damon, I-I can't do this! I-I'm not ready to do this, I-I-"

"Listen, Elena." Damon's hands were now cupping her face, and Elena was forced to look into Damon's insistent blue eyes. "It will be fine. I promise. We won't be there that long, but I assure you that my parents won't think twice about what's become of your life. They're too swallowed up in this charity to give a crap about anything else,"

Elena nodded, reassured. He was right. They were too busy and too important to worry about anything else, let alone _her._

"Okay," she whispered.

"Okay," Damon repeated softly, and let go of her face. He held out his right arm. "Ready?"

Taking it, Elena did her best attempt at a smile.

"Ready."

* * *

Elena anxiously sat across from Damon in the back of a black limo that he had rented for the night as she watched the mansion come into view.

The Salvatore Mansion was bigger than Elena had remembered it. It was white as marble, and It was bigger than the mayor's house. Ironic. There were brass gates that greeted guests at the head of the property, and Elena gasped as she took in the decorations. There were water, chocolate and ice fountains scattered around the lot. Ruby balloons were in rows leading up to the entrance to the house, and there was a team of valets parking the cars.

"It's a lot bigger than I remember," Elena said softly as she gazed through the window at the entire house.

"My parents have had the place remodeled since then," he told her.

"Oh, wow," Elena's eyes scanned the house more closely. It did look like there was an additional attachment.

"Hello, Mr. Salvatore and ..?" One of the valet opened the door to the car and held his hand out for Elena to step out.

"Elena Gilbert," she smiled as she took his hand, which was covered with a white glove.

"Ms. Gilbert," the valet smiled warmly, causing Elena to blush unexpectedly.

"Thanks, Brady," Damon said to the man as he slid out behind Elena.

"Certainly, Mr. Salvatore. Enjoy the event,"

"Watch your step," Damon gripped Elena's arm tightly, startling her. She looked downward instantly. She was so caught up in the extravagant decorations that she was not aware of where she was walking. The front steps were at her feet.

"Oh, thank you," she giggled as she lifted her dress up, stepping onto the concrete stone.

"Don't want you to get hurt," he smirked, and Elena felt warm with excitement now.

"Why, thank you for being so concerned with my safety, Mr. Salvatore," she grinned back at him flirtatiously as she entered the house.

_Flirting? _

He _was _her boyfriend, but it seemed...strange with Damon. After knowing him for _so _long as a friend, it was at times, if she were being truthful, a little awkward between them. She had never been in a romantic relationship really, and to start with your longtime best friend was always a danger zone.

"Damon!"

Elena snapped her head back at the sound of his father, Giuseppe, who was standing in the middle of the hallway with his hand in the air.

"Father," Damon said uncomfortably as they approached Giuseppe.

"And ... Miss Elena Gilbert, is that you?" Giuseppe asked in disbelief as his gaze fixed on Elena.

"Yes, sir." She nodded politely. "It's nice to see you again,"

"Well, certainly. It's been too long, my dear, too long. Damon here's been running his mouth off about you to my wife, and she can't wait to see you again,"

Elena blinked in surprise. "Yes, it has been too long. And I look forward to seeing her again as well," she smiled.

_Damon was talking about her to his family? That was unexpected._

"Well, Father, we must go and be somewhere else," Damon said as he began to lead Elena away and toward the back door, which was wide open.

"Oh- Goodbye, Mr. Salvatore," Elena hollered toward Giuseppe, who looked angry, presumably with the way that Damon had just acted.

"Why did you do that?" She wondered as they stepped back outside.

"Because I don't want my father as our only company for the night," he shrugged nonchalantly and Elena scoffed.

_Was he really going to be so blunt?_

"What?" he asked when she narrowed her eyes.

"I'm just a little surprised at how you just treated your ill father," she admitted.

"He's in remission, Elena. I've told you this. He's fine. He's just getting on my bad side tonight,"

"Why? Because he spilled the beans on your family conversation topics?"

"No,"

_Bingo._

"Okay, it's nothing. I understand," she shrugged sadly._ She just wanted Damon to be honest with her about this._

"Elena," he sighed. "I just don't want my family meddling in my personal life," he told her quietly.

"No, I get it. Honestly, Damon. Let's let it go," she smiled. This night was going in a bad direction, and it had just started. Elena looked overhead at the darkening sky. Was it really going to shower?

"Alright," he nodded.

Elena looked onto the crowd of people, who were either socializing or dancing. The music was an upbeat pop track that Elena was familiar with, but just couldn't place.

"Salvatore!"

Elena turned around, and saw two young men emerging from the crowd with wide grins on their faces.

Elena froze.

_It was Mason Lockwood and Matt Donovan._

"Oh, god," Elena whimpered, and started to back up. _Damon was sure that no one she knew would be there._

"Damn it," he cursed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Elena, I was _so_ sure that no one would be here," he told her, an apologetic look in his eyes.

"Damon, I need to go, _now,"_ she began to hyperventilate. Mason and Matt were at the top of her list who she didn't ever want to see from her hometown again.

"Elena, It's fine. I promised you that, and I don't break my promises," he insisted as he wrapped his arm around her waist, preventing her from fleeing.

"Damn it, Damon, let me go-"

_"Elena Gilbert?"_ Mason asked, shocked as he and Matt approached Elena and Damon. "Is that _you?"_

"Yes, it's me." Elena breathed nervously once Damon had let go of her.

"Wow! It's been a long time, huh?" Mason's green eyes glistened with remembrance. "You look_ beautiful,"_

"Yeah, it has," Elena laughed softly. "Thank you,"

_Why was she finding this awkward and uncomfortable?_

"Yeah, you do, Elena. Long time," Matt spoke up softly, and Elena turned to see hurt in his eyes.

_What was wrong with Matt?_

"Thanks, Matt." she smiled awkwardly. The last time she'd seen him, _they_ were on a date. And he didn't even pay attention to her. Not that she actually cared. She'd preferred it that way.

"How are you? What are you doing here?" Mason suddenly asked, regarding Elena curiously.

"I'm fine," she said dismissively. "I'm actually-"

"She's actually my date tonight," Damon interrupted, tightening his grip on Elena.

_Damn, he was strong._

"Wait, _what?"_ Matt spoke up for the first time. _"You two_ are on a _date?"_

"Absolutely," Damon nodded, narrowing his eyes at Matt, who now looked uncomfortable.

"Well, well, well. Some things _do_ surprise you," Matt scoffed.

"Wow, I would have _never_ guessed that _you two_ would ever be on a _date,"_ Mason chuckled. "I guess things _do_ change, huh?"

"Oh, yes, they do. Elena's my girlfriend."

"Oh, _wow._ Well, here's to the happy couple," Mason patted Damon on the back, and Elena saw Matt scowl in the corner of her eye.

_Could this get anymore awkward?_

Elena prayed not.

"Well, I'd like to take my _girlfriend _on a walk. Gentlemen," Damon bowed, dragging Elena away from Mason and Matt and toward the denser part of the crowd and over by the food.

"What was that?" Elena asked, dazed. She'd just felt as if she'd ran a mile or two.

"It was me stating the obvious," Damon said as he grabbed a plate and put a burger on it.

"It seemed like..."

"What, Elena?" Damon encouraged snidely.

Elena sighed. "It seemed like you were..._angry_ or something,"

"I was making it clear that you were unavailable." he shrugged, and Elena's mouth fell open in realization.

_Did he really think that Mason and Matt were flirting with her? Or even interested in her? He was so ridiculous sometimes._

"Damon, it wasn't like that. Mason and Matt-"

"Were openly flirting with you," he said darkly.

"And what's wrong with that?" she retorted immediately.

_Wrong thing to say, Elena!_

"What's _wrong,_ is that you're not their girlfriend," he hissed.

_Since when was he so damn possessive?_

Elena looked up through her eyelashes at Damon, who was regarding her intently.

She automatically crossed her arms over her chest. _For some reason, it made her uncomfortable._

"Alright, Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to third annual Salvatore Corporation Charity Function." A voice that Elena recognized as Damon's stepmother's rang across the lot. _Third? Who had Damon come with before? _Elena suddenly wondered. Why, she didn't know. "First, We'd like to thank you all for coming out tonight to support us. Second, we are going to slow things down on the dance floor for a while, so don't be shy and go have some fun. Dinner will be severed soon. Thank you."

Before Elena could fully absorb what Mrs. Salvatore had announced, she felt a tickle at her ear.

"Dance with me," Damon breathed, and she turned to face him.

"What?" She asked, suddenly overwhelmed by his close presence.

"Dance with me, Elena." he whispered in her ear, sending shivers through her blood.

"Damon-" Elena sighed.

"I'm not talking no for an answer," he smirked as he grabbed her hand and led her to the dance floor as a beautiful violin began, shortly followed by other instruments.

Damon slowed down and turned to face Elena. He placed one hand at her waist, and the other in mid-air for her to take with her own. Elena did, and placed her other hand on his shoulder.

"You look so beautiful tonight," he said softly, staring intently into her eyes.

Elena blushed. "You've already said that," she told him as she smiled.

"I know," he nodded seriously.

Elena felt as if time stood still while Damon swept her across the dance floor. They moved in perfect rhythm, and Elena's heart was in her throat as she stared into his beautiful eyes. This was so _real,_ this moment between them, and she didn't want it to end.

Suddenly, Damon dipped Elena, and her long chocolate hair met the floor, and she giggled. Instantly, Damon pulled Elena back upward, and Elena's laughter ceased as she looked up at him with wide eyes. Damon's eyes landed on her lips, and without hesitation, they both leaned in at the same time, and Elena felt her heart flutter with the union of her and Damon's lips.

It was so soft and tender, so sweet. His lips molded perfectly against hers, and Elena felt Damon wrap his arms around her waist as they had so many times, but this time felt different. She threw her own arms around his neck, and Damon groaned into her mouth, making Elena's stomach tingle with desire.

"Elena,"

As she shifted against his body, Elena felt his stiff length rub against her stomach, making her shiver with uncertainty. Suddenly, she felt a raindrop hit her face.

"Can I cut in?"

Elena immediately broke apart at the voice of the intruder.

_That voice,_ Elena knew.

Her voice was cold. _It was dark and demented._

_It was one that Elena didn't want to hear ever again._

Simultaneously, Elena and Damon turned to face the brunette, who wore a tight blood-red lace dress and a smirk that Elena wanted to smack off her face.

"Katherine?" Damon's voice cracked, and Elena's heart dropped.

Another raindrop fell on Elena's face, harder.

_What the hell was this bitch doing here?_

"Well, hello to you, too," The brunette smirked mischievously.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Elena spat unintentionally.

"Oh, Elena? Elena _Gilbert_? Is that you? I didn't notice you, you're actually pretty right now!"

Elena felt her heart squeeze and her stomach twist in pain.

"Katherine!" Damon snapped.

Elena blinked through her watery eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I ruin your '_magical_ little moment'?" Katherine sneered.

"Damn it, Katherine, what the hell are you _doing_ here? How did you even _know _about this event?" Damon growled as Elena felt more raindrops shower them.

"Well, while you were busy playing tongue tag with the ugly duckling over here"- Katherine nodded at Elena, who was now on the verge of crying-"you must've forgotten. My father works _with _your father, so I'm not oblivious to these functions_ just_ because you've forgotten about the last two times we've attended." she laughed menacingly.

Elena felt like her heart was slowly being ripped from her chest.

_Damon attended the past events with Katherine. _

Elena felt the raindrops streaming down her face before she even knew they were there. She was actually now grateful that it had begun to shower, or her tears would've been more evident. And she _hated _showing the people that hurt her weakness. It was one lesson that her mother made sure Elena and Jeremy knew.

"Oops," Katherine smirked insensitively as she raised a perfectly trimmed eyebrow at Elena and winked. Elena immediately seized this opportunity to get free from Damon's grip and run away through the sheets of rain. To where, she didn't care.

As long as Damon wasn't there.

"Katherine, what the _hell _is wrong with you?" Elena heard Damon shout as she weaved through the crowd, her hair and dress now sopping wet. She didn't care. She didn't care about anything anymore.

_Didn't she already learn this lesson?_

"Nothing. I didn't know that she didn't know about us," Katherine scoffed. "It's not _my_ fault that you keep secrets from your girlfriend,"

"Elena!"

She _wouldn't_ turn around. She _wouldn't_ answer his desperate pleas.

She knew better. She was right all along.

_She should've ended things with Damon before this all had the chance to occur._

_"Damn_ it, Elena, _stop!"_

Elena felt the sharp, wet grip of Damon's hand as he whirled her around to face him through the fog of the storm.

'Let me _go,_ Damon!" She cried as she ripped her arm away from him and stormed off once again through the showers.

It wasn't long until Damon had grabbed her arm once again.

"Elena, _no_! It's not what it looks like! Katherine was _lying!"_ he said desperately.

"No, Damon, _you_ lied! You _told_ me that you hadn't been involved with her since prom!" Elena choked through her sobs, barely audible through the thick rain.

"I _haven't! _Look, Elena-" Damon pleaded, but Elena shook her head.

_"Forget_ it, Damon. I don't have to do _anything_ you ask me. I'm _done_. I'm calling a cab to come get me from this _shitty _party that I was _stupid_ enough to let you talk me into attending with you, '_Damon Salvatore'_, the 'womanizer of the century', who probably has _no_ feelings for me, or _anyone_ for fuck's sake! Hell, you're not even _capable_ of real feelings, least of all for _me!"_

"Don't you _dare_ tell me what I'm capable of feeling for you, Elena Gilbert," Damon snarled as he pulled her tightly against his stiff body.

"Damon, d-" Elena gasped.

His lips crashed onto hers, insistent, demanding and cathartic. It was explosive, and Elena could hear the fireworks go off through her ears. He wrapped his arms around her small waist, and she instantly followed with her arms around his neck. It was quiet outside, and Elena noticed everyone had abandoned into shelter. And she and Damon were standing out in plain sight of the storm.

A rumble of thunder echoed in her mind.

_And they still weren't moving._

"Elena," he groaned as he backed her into a nearby tree, a gasp escaping from her lips from the quick pain on her backside, as well as the sharp feel of his hard length that rubbed against her stomach. Damon's hands slid down her waist, past her hips and to the top of her legs. Instantly, he lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he continued to assault her mouth. Elena felt faint, hot and thick with desire.

"D-Dam-"

"Shh," he whispered as he ran with her through the fog and thick sheets of rain to the shed that Elena had remembered was nearby their property.

"We need to take shelter," he whispered as he unlocked the shed doors without removing his lips from hers and ran in with her and set her down on the stack of hay near the door.

"Oh, _god!" _Elena panted, feeling Damon's toned body with her hands. His mouth instantly moved to her neck as he nibbled and sucked on her flesh.

_"I want you,"_ he whispered against her neck.

Elena felt herself become dizzy.

"N-no," Elena whimpered as she felt Damon's hand move to the back of her dress and to the zipper. She shook her head in protest. _She wasn't ready for that._

Damon immediately froze.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked as he caressed the skin on her bare back gently.

"No," she shook her head. _How could she tell him? Would he be upset?_

"I can't do this," she breathed as Damon slowly took himself off of her.

"Okay," Damon choked, and the hurt that was laced in his voice shot right to Elena's heart, a sledgehammer pounding into it.

"_No!_ No, no, Damon. It's not like that!" she shook her head. Damon was getting the wrong idea. He was thinking that she didn't want to do that with _him_.

_Boy, was he wrong._

Elena took a deep breath.

"Last time I-" she froze, her eyes closing at the memories that were resurfacing. "The last time I-I h-had sex, It was a _nightmare_, Damon. I'm still not fully recovered from that yet." she said softly, fearfully. She didn't want him to reject her because she wasn't ready to do that yet.

_Would she ever be ready to do that again?_

"Wait, do you think that I'm mad that you won't do that?" Damon's eyes were wider than ever, with pain shining in them.

Elena felt guilty for nodding.

_"Jesus, _Elena." He ran both of his hands through his hair. "I'm not _that guy, _Elena!" He said angrily. "Don't you know that I'm not that guy?"

Elena nodded frantically. "Yes, Damon, I do. I just don't want you to think that I don't want to do that with you. Because I do! I _really_ do, but Damon, you know how I was introduced to sex, and it was dreadful! I want to, Damon, but I just _can't_, not yet," Elena's chest was heaving.

"Elena, it's okay," Damon soothed as he pulled her in for a hug, and Elena immediately burst into tears.  
"Shit, Elena." Damon swore and pulled back. "Please don't cry, Elena. It's okay. I understand. Just please don't cry," he whispered softly as he ran a hand through her hair. "It's okay. We'll get through this stuff with this serial killer person, and we'll get through us, together. I promise, Elena. As long as you want me, I'm here,"

Elena looked up, doubtful, into Damon's wide eyes. He was honestly not mad with her. He cared. Damon cared about her, she knew. She knew that he wanted her to be safe.

And that was only with Damon.

"Okay," she sniffled, returning his hug as her breathing calmed.

"Okay," he repeated softly to her, and smiled.

"It's getting late. Do you just want to go?" Damon asked her.

"If you want to," she shrugged, but secretly hoped that he wanted to leave.

"I'm not here for anything anymore. Let's go," Damon nodded as he slowly stood up with Elena, who was still tired from all of the emotions that she'd confronted tonight.

* * *

"Elena, we're home," Damon said softly as he caressed her cheek with his fingers.

"Hmm?" Elena's eyes slowly opened, and she stretched.  
"Ow!" Damon winced as he covered his eye.

"Whoops! Did I accidentally hit you?" Elena giggled sleepily.

"Yes, you did," he snapped, and Elena sat right up, worried that he was upset with her.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked breathlessly as she nervously examined his face.

"What do you mean?" Damon asked, confused.

"You-you seemed upset," she bit her lip.

_Did she imagine it?_

"Did I?" Damon asked, genuinely curious. "I didn't notice. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you," he kissed her forehead.

"I like that," she grinned shyly.

"What?" he chuckled.

"When you do that," she blushed.

"Do what? Kiss your forehead?" Damon smiled.

Elena nodded, embarrassed.

"Noted," Damon pecked her forehead once again. "Come on,"

* * *

"Well, that was some night," Damon sighed as he shrugged off his jacket.

"Yeah," Elena smiled, and suddenly the images of the events of tonight flashed before her.

_Yeah, it had been some night._

_A night of hell._

_Except for that last part at the function._

"Where's Jeremy?" Damon asked as he threw his coat onto a nearby coatrack.

"He's still at his friend's house, I think," Elena said, suddenly wandering toward Jeremy's room. When she reached it, the door was wide open, revealing a vacant bed.

"Yeah, he's still out." Elena confirmed as she headed back to Damon, who was standing near the door entrance, frozen.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked.

"This is for you," Damon said softly, the way that made her worry.

"What are you-?"

Damon held up the parcel that Meredith delivered last night.

"Oh, right," Elena stuttered, snatching the parcel from Damon's hands. "I forgot about Meredith's visit last night,"

Elena's hand clamped to her mouth.

_Shit, shit, shit._

_TMI, Elena, TMI!_

"Meredith brought that over last night?"

Too nervous to speak, Elena nodded hesitantly.

"And you didn't think to show it to me?"

Elena bit her lip as she found her voice again.

"I didn't open it yet,"

"Well open it right now." Damon hissed.

"Damon-"

"Elena, open the damn package. _Now,"_

_Why did he have to be scary when he was angry?_

_Damn him._

Without responding, Elena walked over to the kitchen and grabbed a knife, slicing the parcel open in one swift move.

Inside of it was only tissue paper.

_Big whoop._

Elena froze.

It felt heavier than _'just paper'._

She slowly reached her hand into the parcel to retrieve the object.

"What is it?" he asked, once again quietly.

It was a beer bottle with something like red wine inside of it.

And a note.

**Elena,  
Once again, you failed to do as I asked. You squealed. So here's my gift to you. In this bottle is the blood of one of your girlfriends. If you don't tell me where my son is, you don't want to know the things that I will do to your little friend.**

**And you.**

**And our son.**

**You have one week.**

"Oh, God," Elena gasped, feeling her heart jumping out of her throat.

Elena fell down to the ground, shaking to her core. The note floated to the ground next to her. Damon caught it before it hit the ground.

_It all made sense now._

_The fire after she told Damon about the note and her past._

_The person who knew about that night._

_There was only one person other than her that knew about it._

_It was him._

_Her attacker._

_All along._

_And she has _no_ idea who that person is._

_No, no, no. No. No. _

_He'd never find Ryan. He'd never find-_

_Who's blood was in the bottle?!_

_Oh. God. Oh. God._

"What the-?" Damon hissed, taking the bottle.

"I-It's b-blood!" she cried.

"What? Who's is it?" Damon asked urgently.

"I-I don't k-know!" she wailed. "But D-Damon it's h-him! It's h-him! My att-tacker!"

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	13. Twelve

**CHAPTER 12:**

Elena's mind was overloading with information as she stared at Damon through watery eyes.

"Oh, my god! I-It's _him_!" she choked through her sobs. It was her attacker, the father of her child. He was the one who was blackmailing her. He wanted to find her son.

_How did he even know about her son?_

When Elena looked through her watery eyes up at Damon, he was still holding the note.

"It all makes _sense_, t-the note! who else would know about that night?" Elena cried, shaking her head.

_How could she have been so stupid?_

"Fuck," Damon growled, running his hands through his hair. "So it was him, or someone working for him, who set the fire at Maymont. It has to be."

Elena's eyes widened in realization.

_That's how he knew. _

_They were being watched that night, and she had told Damon about the pregnancy._

"Oh, my god!" Elena gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

"What?" Damon asked urgently.

Elena swallowed. "That's how he knows, Damon! The person who set the fire, he was there the same time that _we_ were, watching us! And they overheard our _entire_ conversation! That's the _only _way that he would know that I told you about the note, and about Ryan!"

Elena gasped with remembrance and horror.

_He was after Ryan._

_He wanted to find him._

_And if he did..._

_NO!_

Elena gasped, beginning to hyperventilate. "He's after my son! He's going to hurt him, Damon, he's-!"

Damon's hands gripped Elena's shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "Elena, no, Elena, _listen to me!_" She immediately stopped talking, and began to shiver.

"He won't find him." Damon said confidently, looking intensely into her eyes. "He has no idea where he is, Elena. He won't find him,"

"How do you k-know?" she shook her head in doubt. "He f-found _me_, Damon! I don't e-even k-know who he is, and he knows _exactly _who_ I_ am!"

_He knew who she was._

_He was watching her. _

"I have _no _idea how he knew where you were," Damon said sadly, and Elena's heart was breaking.

"Damon-" she sobbed.

_ There's no way out of this now._

"Elena, I promise you. He won't find you. I won't let him hurt you,"

"What am I supposed to do?" she whimpered, and due to the severity of her crying, it all came out in a jumble.

"I don't know. But right now, the only thing we can do is be on the look out for anything odd. If he has people working for him, and I assume he does, then we don't know when you're being watched."

Elena swallowed, and suddenly, she was desperate do leave. Damon, as long as he was in contact with her, was not safe.

"Damon, I have to leave, I don't want you to get hurt-" she panicked.

"No! There is no way in _hell _that I'm letting you leave and get yourself harmed, or worse. The safest place that you could be right now is here with me, rather than your old house. The same goes for Jeremy, so don't even _think_ about sending him elsewhere." he told her angrily.

"Elena?"

As if on cue, Jeremy's voice entered the room as the door shut.

_Thank god he was here safely._

"In here, Jer," Damon said, and Jeremy walked around into the living room.

"Elena?" he asked as he saw Elena with Damon, appearing in a deep discussion. Elena immediately turned around, and Jeremy gasped. "What the hell's going on? Why are you crying?"

Elena ran to Jeremy, wrapping her arms around his neck, and immediately began to weep again.

"Jer! Oh, thank god you're safe!" she choked as she felt Jeremy's hand stroke her back.

"I'm fine, Elena, It's okay," he breathed, "What's going on?"

Elena pulled away from Jeremy, looking up at him through watery eyes.

"When Meredith came here last night, she gave me a package that she found at our house," Elena swallowed. "I didn't open it right away, and Damon found it tonight, and when I opened it..."

Elena's voice trailed off as her memories of the gruesome content of the package returned.

Damon handed Jeremy the bottle of blood and the note, which Jeremy scanned it anxiously.

"What the hell?" he snarled, looking at Elena with a look of disgust. "It's the psycho who attacked you? He's behind all of this?"

Elena nodded, and Jeremy scoffed.

"Who's blood is this?" he held up the wine.

"We don't know," she murmured. It could be anybody's. _How would she know?_

_Would she ever know?_

"What are we going to do?" Jeremy asked, looking up at Damon.

"The only thing we can do right now to protect her is make sure that Elena does_ not_ leave here alone._" _Damon said strictly, turning to look at her.

"What about Ryan?" Jeremy asked gently, and Elena felt her heart ache in worry for her son.

"Oh, my god. I need to warn Meredith-" Elena said suddenly.

"_No_, Elena. You _cannot _contact Meredith until this is over. If you contact her, you're putting her and Ryan in_ more_ danger." Damon said.

"But-"

_"No,_ Elena," Damon snapped, and Elena cringed.

"Damon, that's_ insane!"_ Jeremy recoiled. "Meredith has _no_ idea that her life could be in danger!"

"It already _is _in danger!" Damon hissed, his eyes widening in anger.

"At least let me text her. No one will know that I contacted her that way," Elena suggested. "Damon,_ please._ She _has_ to know!"

For what seemed like an eternity, Damon was silent.

"Fine," He snapped. "Only text her _once_."

"Thank you," Elena sighed in relief as she pulled out her phone.

**To Meredith: Meredith. I've recently come into a dangerous situation, and I can't risk my son's life, or yours. So please, don't make contact with me, or reply to this for as long as it takes. I'm not sure, but when it's safe again, I will let you know. Be careful.**

**Elena**

"So what can we do _now_?" Jeremy asked.

"Nothing right now. All we can do is get some sleep and figure this out tomorrow." Damon said bitterly.

"Wait, I have work tomorrow." Elena said suddenly.

"No, you don't." Damon shook his head, his tone cold and warning.

Elena scoffed. "Damon, I have to go to work,"

_Yes, that sounded ridiculous, but she still had a job, and if she was careful, she would be alright. _

_"Jesus_, Elena. You just got a threat from God-knows-who and you're worried about your _job_?"

"Yes," Elena said boldly. "I'll take Jeremy, or even you."

"I'll go with her." Jeremy said.

"You're _okay_ with this?" Damon snapped, turning onto Jeremy.

"Yes. My sister is responsible, and if we're careful, nothing will happen,"

Elena watched as Damon's mouth fell open.

"Damon, please, or I will go back to my house, _alone_." she threatened.

"You can't keep me here, hostage. Jeremy either." She reminded him.

Damon's face scrunched in anger, and finally, he sighed.

"Fine, but you are _not_ leaving your brother's sight. Do you understand me?" he snarled.

"Yes," Elena nodded, thankful that she wasn't going to be held captive by overprotective Damon.

"Why can't _you_ go?" Elena asked, now realizing that he wasn't volunteering himself for guard duty tomorrow.

"I'm going to go get this blood tested at the police department," he said.

"Oh," she nodded and yawned.

"Elena, it's a long day tomorrow, and you need some rest." Damon said softly. "Go to bed,"

"Yeah," she nodded in agreement. She was too wiped out to argue any further. "I'll see you guys tomorrow," she waved as she wandered into the back room.

* * *

Elena was at the bar, failing at getting drinks served quickly. She was too preoccupied by the previous night's events to care how many drinks she served in a minute. Jeremy sat at a table near the door, watching Elena as he had a drink.

_He wasn't even of legal age._

_If he got in trouble-_

"Elena,"

Elena was knocked out of her thoughts as she looked up to see Kol leaning across the bar, regarding her intently.

"Kol," She breathed nervously. The last time she'd seen him, he was angry at her for some reason. And she had left early that night, so no telling what he would do.

"Is everything alright, darling?"

Elena let out her breath, thankful that he wasn't yelling at her, or firing her.

"Yes, I'm fine," she stuttered, cringing inwardly.

_He wasn't that stupid to believe her._

"Okay, good." he nodded in understanding.

_Apparently he was._

"Listen, Elena," Kol said hesitantly, forcing Elena to look up at him curiously.

"What?"

"Can I have a chat with you in private?"

_What, now?_

"Kol, I-" Elena looked down at her hands.

"Please. It will only take a few minutes. I promise."

In the corner of her eye, she saw Jeremy slowly get to his feet.

"Who's that?" Kol asked.

"My brother." she waved to him, indicating that it was okay.

"Alright," she sighed, nodding.

"Great. Follow me," he smiled, and Elena grabbed her purse and wandered after Kol towards the dressing rooms. Instead of heading in there, they entered a side door that contained a set of staircases leading downward. Nervously, she walked down them, and they walked through a door that Elena recognized that led to an extended part of the building.

They walked down the long, narrowly lit wing, and once they arrived at his office, Kol held the door open and Elena walked in.

"Why did you-?" she asked nervously as the sound of the door being shut echoed through her head.

"Have a seat, Elena. It's okay." Kol gestured to the seat in front of his desk and Elena slowly sat down. Kol moved to sit across from her, placing his head on his fists, which were on top of his desk.

Elena felt uncomfortable all of a sudden.

_Why had she agreed to this? _

Kol's office was a while away from the club, and over the loud beating music, it was impossible to hear anything from out there.

"Why did you want to speak to me?" she asked, growing nervous.

"You've worked for me for nearly two and a half years, Elena," Kol said as he continued to stare at Elena intently. She crossed her arms over herself as she felt his gaze drift to her exposed chest.

"Yes." she nodded, not understanding what he was getting at.

"And you've been an extraordinary employee," he complimented, and Elena didn't like the fact that he was grinning at her.

"Thank you," she breathed, her mind fogging.

_Just get to the damn point._

"I see your potential, and I want to offer you a promotion. A one-act performer. Full time."

Elena's draw dropped to the floor.

"Excuse me?" she gasped.

She wasn't going to accept it. But it still shocked her.

"Think about it. The job offers twice the amount of your current position,"

"What about the other girls?" Elena asked suddenly. If she was a full time one-act, then where did that leave Lexi, Rebekah and Rose?

"They'll probably get their old job's back, or I'll let them go,"

Elena was disgusted by how cold and heartless Kol was being towards her friends.

"Why would you do that?" she asked, anger rising.

"Because they aren't living up to their potential anymore," he shrugged.

"And I am? I've been gone a lot lately, and you're pardoning _me_ over _them?"_

"Why do you say that with such disbelief?" he asked.

"I thought you were going to fire me," she admitted.

"Why on earth would I fire you, Elena?" Kol asked, sincerely curious.

_Was he not listening to her?_

"I've been gone a lot lately, and I'm not doing well here," she listed off.

Why_ wouldn't_ he fire her?

"I wouldn't even dream of firing you," he said gently, and despite his intent for it to be flattering, Elena felt uncomfortable with it.

"Why not?" she shrugged, raising an eyebrow.

"Because I like you too much," he muttered, looking up at Elena with darkened eyes.

"Kol, I-" she swallowed.

_Not this again._

_She had to set the record straight._

"I'm not.. I'm with-"

"I know about you and Damon."

Elena's eyes widened.

_How the-?_

"I saw you two the outside the other night," he sighed, and Elena recognized the impending anger in his voice.

"Oh," It was all she could say. This was getting more uncomfortable by the second.

"I want you to know that I understand that you're with him now."

_Wait, what?_

"But I also want you to know," he said softly as he leaned across the desk. "that I can't stop thinking about you, Elena."

_Oh, no._

"Kol, please-" Elena begged, slowly shaking her head as she stood up.

_She had to get out of there. _

_Now._

"Elena," he said hastily, and before she could take one step, Kol was standing in front of her. Soon enough, she was backed into a cabinet of files, her back aching from the pain.

"What are you-"

"Elena, it's okay," Kol's head dropped to her ear. Suddenly, Elena felt something sharp nip at her ear.

"Ah!" she cried in pain, and Kol's hand landed on her behind, pulling her to him. Elena whimpered when she felt his length rub against her stomach. Kol placed his hand over her mouth.

Elena screamed against it, but the noise was nowhere near loud enough for someone to hear her.

"Shh. It's alright, darling,"

"Please, no!" Elena shouted at the top of her lungs when his hand moved from her mouth. She felt the world closing in on her.

_This wasn't happening again! Oh, God, please, no..._

Elena struggled against his body, kicking and hitting and punching, but Kol seemed unaffected.

_She was hopeless._

An idea landed in Elena's head.

_One more try._

She brought her knee to his center, and he groaned in pain.

"You little bitch!" he roared.

Elena took the immediate opportunity to flee, and she whisked the door open, darting into the hallway.

Unfortunately, Kol was recovered, and he stormed through the door, and she whipped around in fear.

She could only make out the silhouette of him due to the dim lighting as he grew raced to her. Once again, he cornered her to the nearby wall and Elena whimpered desperately.

"You _shouldn't_ have _done_ that, Elena!" he hissed as he brought his hand to her cheek roughly.

Elena felt her cheek sting in pain, and she cupped it, tears streaming down her face. Suddenly, Kol's hands moved down to her behind again, and his head swooped down to her mouth before she could scream.

His mouth was rough, and Elena felt his teeth nip on her bottom lip. She once again was fighting against his assault, and Elena was feeling faint.

_There was no way out of this._

Suddenly, Elena was knocked backwards, and her face met the ground, hard and painfully. She let out a noise that sounded somewhat like a cross between a cough and a gasp.

Elena sat up in the semidarkness, coughing. There was hardly any light, and through her watery eyes, Elena could see what looked like two black figures moving in unison, ramming into one wall, and then the other. Then, one of the figures pulled out something sharp. Elena's hand clamped to her mouth in realization and fear.

It was a blade.

The empty handed figure backed away, and was now pinned against the wall. Suddenly, the same figure darted toward the other, and they fell down to the ground, into another hall that Elena had seen on her way down. Elena heard a cry of pain.

_Oh, my god. _

Before Elena could do, or say anything, one of the figures stood up and walked over to her. The shadow grew closer, as did Elena's fear.

"No, please, don't!" she scooted back against a wall, whimpering hysterically.

_She had thought that she was saved._

Through the shadows, the figure emerged, revealing their face, and Elena held her hand to her mouth as she let out a gasp.

"Damon?" she sobbed, scrambling to her feet.

Damon nodded, his eyes wide and fearful as Elena collapsed into his arms.

"It's okay, Elena. I'm here, you're safe," he soothed as she weeped into his shirt. Elena squeezed him so tightly that she was afraid that he would stop breathing. She was _so _relieved to see him. After minutes of crying, Elena stepped out of his embrace.

"I was so scared, Damon," She whispered as she began to shake, salty tears falling into her mouth.

"I know," he searched her face with his blue eyes. "You're safe. You're safe, Elena."

She gasped. "Kol, he-!"

Damon nodded, and Elena felt him tense.

"I know. He's not going to hurt you, Elena."

"W-why would he d-do this?" she cried.

"I don't know, Elena," Damon's thumb caressed her cheek. Elena leaned into his touch, and sighed, closing her eyes.

Elena's eyes widened suddenly.

"How did you-? Jeremy-"

"He called when you were taking too long, and I was driving by on my way home from the police station," he explained.

_Thank god._

"Where is he?" Elena asked, looking around.

"I sent him home. He was pissed, but I wouldn't let him down here," Damon shook his head in annoyance.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because something was obviously wrong, and I didn't want him involved in whatever that was,"

Elena nodded, and remembering that Damon had been on his way from the police station dealing with the blood, she changed topic.

"W-What did you find out from the police station?" she asked, her breathing calming down.

Damon frowned, and Elena knew it wasn't good.

"Elena, I'm not discussing this right now. We need to get out of town," he shook his head as he took her hand.

_Wait, what? They were leaving? What did Damon know?_

"What?" Elena asked, frantically searching Damon's face.

"Elena-"

"Why do we need to leave town?" she demanded.

"Because the blood is Jeremy's!"

Elena felt her body temperature drop several degrees.

_"What?"_ she whispered, paralyzed with shock. How would it be Jeremy's? He would've said something!

"The blood that that creep sent you, it was_ Jeremy's_ blood, Elena!" Damon snarled.

"H-How is it Jeremy's?" she asked, confused. "He would've said something,"

"I have _no_ idea, Elena, but we need to leave. He's not safe, and neither are you!" Damon stressed as he took her hand and lead her toward the door.

"Wait!" Elena stopped as they passed Kol's room. "My purse is in here,"

Elena ran into the room, grabbed her purse, which sat on Kol's desk, and when she removed it off of the surface, she saw something that drew her attention.

"Elena, what are you doing?" Damon asked as he opened the door.

"I found something," she said slowly, mesmerized by the newspaper in her hands. The cover story was highlighted.

**Maymont Family Park Up In Flames: Arson?**

**Sun, September 22, 2012**

Yesterday evening, local city hangout Maymont Park went up in flames, and police are baffled as to how it was started. Some sources say that it could be the possible works of Arson, but Police have yet to confirm or deny this claim. If it is in fact Arson, the police will have a _very_ difficult time finding the suspect, as _no_ traces were left behind.

When Elena went to unfold the paper, something fell out from the folds and landed on the table.

She handed the paper to Damon, bending down to get the loose paper before he could.

"What does it say?"

Elena scanned the e-mail carefully.

* * *

**TO: KOL MIKAELSON**

**FROM: ANONYMOUS**

**DATE: Tuesday, Sept 18, 2012**

**SUB: Miss Gilbert**

I understand that Miss Gilbert is one of your employees. You know her well. Please consider what I have offered you. You would be a great aid in my journey to finding her. She and I have some unfinished business. If you decide to assist me, then I must tell you that I need her followed and watched as often as possible. I'm making a move later this week with my other assistant K.P., and I need Miss Gilbert watched to make sure she doesn't tell anyone what I am leaving for her. However, I am not hopeful. She will tell someone, and when you watch her, strike when you get the chance, and don't let her know who you really are.

**TO: ANONYMOUS**

**FROM: KOL MIKAELSON**

**DATE: Sun, Sept 23, 2012**

**SUB: Re: Miss Gilbert**

I assume that by now, you have heard of the Maymont Fire. I did what you asked. I found the girl and her friend Damon Salvatore there late last night, and once they were gone, I set the bloody place on fire. It is clearly a warning to her, and I feel confident that she will understand. And I am confident that she has no idea what is coming to her. K.P. made contact.

Let me know the next step.

Kol Mikaelson

* * *

"Oh, my god," Elena gasped, looking up at Damon, still holding the paper.

"What?" Damon asked, searching her face.

_Had he really betrayed her like that?_

_How much of what he told her was real?_

"Kol," Elena swallowed, her skin crawling when she said his name. "It's him, Damon!"

"_What?" _Damon's jaw dropped. "He's not the-"

Elena shook her head. "No, Damon! He-He started the fire at Maymont!" she cried.

_"What?" _

_"_He was working with him, Damon." Elena whispered, and Damon's eyes widened. "He's in contact with him!"

Damon's face was wide as he took the Email from her.

"Who's K.P?" "Damon asked, frowning.

"I-I don't kn-"

KP.

_KP._

"Damon," Elena breathed.

"What is it, Elena?" He asked desperately.

"Katherine Pierce."

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	14. Thirteen

**AN: **Sorry, It's a bit short. I wanted to get one out to you guys today. I was half asleep when I wrote this, so it's not the best. But the next chapter... :)

Thanks for the support!

* * *

**CHAPTER 13:**

"Wait, you think that _Katherine's _involved in this?" Damon gasped, his eyes widening in shock.

Elena nodded. "It makes sense, I mean who _else _would be KP, and she doesn't like me, so why _wouldn't _she be involved?"  
Damon shrugged. "I have no idea. But it still sounds off to me. And _Kol _was working for this guy," he scoffed angrily. "Damn it, how could we have _missed _that?"

Elena frowned. "I don't know, but we know now," she smiled weakly in attempt to calm Damon, but he shook his head, seeming to be lost in thought.

"I mean how honest was he with you?" Damon asked, more to himself than to her. "Did he even _care _about you? After what just happened, I doubt it,"

"I don't know," Elena lied, and she was praying that it was convincible. Damon didn't need to know what Kol had said to her earlier. Hell, it wasn't even his _business._

"We can figure all of this out later, Elena," Damon said as he took her hand.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

Elena nodded, despite her emotional state. No, she wasn't okay, in reality, but she needed Damon to worry about something other than her right now.

"I'm fine," she nodded, "Thank you for saving me,"

Damon smiled as he caressed her cheek. "You're welcome,"

Damon's close presence was jumbling Elena's thoughts, and she was forgetting everything but him. They needed to move. Damon was right. No one was safe here anymore.

"Wh-Where are we going?" she asked softly, trying to focus on the task at hand.

"I have a private house off the coast of Costa Rica," he said as he pulled away from her and lead them back upstairs.

_Of course he did._

"Wait, we're leaving the _country?"_ she asked. Damon was acting like she was some royal heiress that was being hunted.

_This was a local problem, not a government crisis. They didn't need to flee _that _far._

"Yes," Damon said simply as he and Elena began walking up the stairs.

"Why are we going _that _far? I mean, It's not like I'm the queen of England whose life has been threatened. This isn't some secret FBI agent mission, Damon," she told him.

Damon turned around suddenly, startling Elena.

"You're right. You may not be next in line for the throne of England, but your life _is _in danger, Elena," his cold voice sneered.

Elena blinked.

_Damon was so touchy about this._

"Fine." she muttered, looking at her feet. "I'm sorry,"

"Let's go," he said softly.

_And that was that._

* * *

"Jer!" Elena called as soon as she and Damon stepped through his apartment.

"Yeah?" he replied, and soon enough, Jeremy was making his way to the front entrance.

"Thank god you're safe," she threw her arms around his neck.

"Me? What about you?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm fine," she nodded, trying to convince her more than him.

"Are you sure?" Jeremy asked uncertainly.

"Yes, I'm fine." she smiled, touched at the amount of concern that Jeremy and even _Damon _were having toward her.

"When are we leaving?" Jeremy looked at Damon expectantly.

Elena's mouth fell open in shock.

"He already knows?" she asked. Well, in reality, it wasn't as shocking as her voice made it seem.

"I told him on the ride over here," Damon nodded confidently. "About half an hour,"

Elena's eyebrows raised. "What? Damon, that's _nowhere _near enough time to pack!" she exclaimed. It would take at _least _an hour.

"Elena, we're not going to be gone for forever," Damon scoffed, making Elena annoyed.

"Well, you said that we'd be gone until all of this was over," she reminded him. "So what if this _does _take a _long _time?"

Damon shrugged. "You still just need some clothes, and some other supplies. That's really it,"

Elena was about to reply, but Jeremy got her attention.

"Elena, we need to get moving. Pack whatever you can," he said urgently, and suddenly, he walked away.

"Come on, Elena," Jeremy hollered from the back room.

"It's all going to be fine," Damon said softly as he pulled Elena in an embrace.

"How do you know?" she said against his chest. "I mean, seriously, Damon."

"I just _know,_ Elena," he shrugged as Elena teared away from his embrace.

"Get ready."

* * *

"Guys, come on," Damon hollered from the front entrance.

Elena was sitting on her bed, struggling with the zipper on her duffel when Damon knocked on her door.

"Here, let me," he said as he swatted her hand away and closed the duffel.

"Thank you," she smiled, rubbing her hand.

"Jesus, what the hell do you _have _in here?" he asked, sincere curiosity in his voice.

"Necessities," she said dismissively.

"Are we leaving?" Jeremy suddenly appeared, standing in the door frame with a backpack over his shoulders.

"Yeah," Damon nodded as he stood up with Elena's duffel.

"Is that all you're bringing? Elena asked as she stood up from the bed as well. Jeremy's bag looked the size of a school bag. There was _no _way he could _possibly_ carry all of what he needed in such a small bag.

"Yeah," he nodded, seemingly preoccupied.

"Are you only staying for a few days?" she joked as she approached him. "That thing is smaller than a high schooler's bad, Jer,"

"Well, unlike _you, _I'm a _guy,_ so I don't need all of that make-up and hair irons and dresses and what not,"

"Hey," she snapped as she lightly slapped his arm. "You can pick on me _all _you want, Jer, but _not _because I'm a girl,"

"Alright, loser," he grinned, bursting into laughter suddenly.

"Jer!" Elena gasped, affronted.

"Ready," Damon announced as Elena heard the door open.

* * *

Elena sat in a chair beside damon at gate C2 listening to her music on her phone as she glanced out the window, watching a plane accelerate and rise into the air.

"Good afternoon passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight 1041 to Miami, Florida. We are now inviting those passengers with small children, and any passengers requiring special assistance, to begin boarding at this time. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Regular boarding will begin in approximately ten minutes time. Thank you."

"Did you tell Jeremy?" she asked, turning her head to face Damon.

Jeremy went off to find a book store or cafe, and she and Damon were waiting for the flight. So they were alone, and it was safe to discuss this.

"About the blood?" Elena nodded. "Not yet," he sighed.

"I still don't understand how it could've been _his_," She scoffed, still trying to make sense of the whole thing.

"Neither can I. But he saw the blood," Damon's voice lowered as he said the last sentence, "And he didn't say anything, so I think that whoever obtained it was doing it unknowingly, or he just doesn't remember,"

"Maybe," Elena nodded. She didn't know where Jeremy had been when he was with his friends. She didn't want to believe it,but there always _was _the possibility that her brother was unknowingly involved.

She shook her head. Jeremy wouldn't even _consider _that.

"Still waiting?"

Elena looked up to see Jeremy take a seat across from them. His backpack was on the floor underneath his seat.

"Yeah," Damon straightened up, and Elena cleared her throat.

"Jer, can I talk to you?"

"Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen. We are now boarding flight 1041 to Miami, Florida," the intercom rang overhead, announcing the allowance of first class passengers.

Elena closed her eyes in annoyance.

_She'd have to try again later._

"Come on," Damon stood up and grabbed Elena's duffel along with his suitcase.

Elena stood up along with Jeremy, who bent down to grab his backpack, and they followed Damon toward the gate.

* * *

Elena sat down in the middle seat of aisle 12 on the plane. Damon followed with the aisle seat. Jeremy was already in his seat near the window.

A voice increased over the speakers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome onboard Flight 115 with service from Richmond to Miami. We are currently second in line for take-off and are expected to be in the air in approximately seven minutes time. Our flight time will be about 5 hours and 15 minutes. At this time, we ask that you please fasten your seat belts at this time and secure all baggage underneath your seat or in the overhead compartments. We also ask that your seats and table trays are in the upright position for take-off. Please turn off all personal electronic devices, including laptops and cell phones. Smoking is prohibited for the duration of the flight. Thank you for choosing American Airlines. Enjoy your flight."

Elena shifted in her seat as she looked around for the seatbelt.

"Here,"

Elena looked up, and in Damon's hand, the seatbelt was there.

"Thank you," she nodded as she took the seatbelt from him and clicked it into place.

"Yep," he smiled.

"What book did you find, Jer?" Elena turned to Jeremy, who was ruffling through a plastic Barnes & Noble bag.

"Oh, it's just some book about this boy who gets lost at sea with some tiger," he said as Elena got a glimpse of the cover.

_"The Life of Pi?"_ she gasped. She'd heard so many people talking about that book, and it seemed so interesting. She was thrilled that Jeremy had decided on this book.

"Yeah," Jeremy nodded as he held up the book for Elena so she could get a better view.

"Oh, you'll have to tell me how you like it," she told him. "I'd like to read it sometime,"

"Yeah, sure," Jeremy smiled.

Suddenly, Elena was knocked in the face with tiredness.

"Elena, you should try to get some sleep," Damon advised lightly when Elena yawned.

"Yeah," she nodded in agreement. It _was _going to be a five hour flight.

And soon enough, she drifted off, her head resting on Damon's shoulder.

* * *

_Elena sat on the city bus, twiddling her thumbs nervously. She had been up all night, worried over this interview. It was for a strip club, yes, but it was still a job. And all jobs required interviews. Something that Elena wasn't so great at. Her hand moved to her stomach, which was now a tiny bump, and it appeared that Elena had simply had a little too much to eat lately. But that was definitely not the case._

_Her baby was the only thing she had right now. He, or she, was the only reason that she was doing this. She would still be at home if this hadn't occurred. But it had, and Elena had to find a way to support herself and her baby for the next nine months._

_When the bus slowed to a stop, she followed the other passengers off the bus, threw her hoody up to make herself warmer, and walked through the chilly winds toward the club up ahead. A neon sign above the front entrance boasted "The Rave"._

_It was a dimly lit atmosphere, and Elena threw her hoody down as she entered the place. There were four aluminum poles standing on top of a decent sized stage, which was masked by a blood-red velvet curtain, and there were many private booths along the sides of the room. In the corner furthest from the stage, and more closer to the entrance, there was a bar._

_"Elena Gilbert?"_

_Elena looked up to see a man with brown hair and dark eyes standing in front of her._

_"Yes," she replied, moving toward the man and she shook his hand._

_"I'm Kol Mikaelson. Nice to meet you," He smiled, and Elena grinned in return. "I understand that you want a position here at my club?" _

_Elena nodded. "Yes, I would,"_

_Kol smiled, and Elena suddenly felt uncomfortable._

_"And which position are you applying for?" he asked, his dark eyes looking down Elena's body and she wrapped her arms around herself._

_She couldn't stand when men looked at her, and when Kol was looking at her like this, and if he was her potential boss, then this was more awkward._

_"Er, Anything that's available," she told him. _

Please don't say toilet scrubber.

_"Well, Elena, you are lucky, as a position has _just _become available." _

Thank god.

_"What sort of position?"_

Why the hell would you ask? He's offering you a _job._

_"It's a waitress position," Kol cleared his throat. "It's very well paid, and you get a lot of tips. It's yours if you want it."_

_Elena flushed, looking down at her fingers. _

_Of course there were good tips, it was a stripper's club for god's sake. The ultimate Rock Bottom._

_But she needed a job urgently if she were to pay her medical visits throughout her pregnancy._

Wait.

_"Aren't you going to ask me for my previous occupations, or for references? A resumé?"_

_This was a little out of the ordinary. Every job interview was like that. _Why wasn't this one?

_"It's a strip club, Elena," Kol chuckled, and Elena felt uncomfortable. He used her first name. Rule one of keeping a platonic relationship. Don't go by first name. And Kol stomped on that one. This was so uncomfortable now. She had hoped that he wouldn't be like this on a daily basis. "Here, we don't require anything but a good worker," _

_Elena decided it was best to drop it and either accept or deny the position._

_"I'll take it," she nodded._

_"Excellent," Kol smiled, holding out his hand._

_"Thank you, Mr. Mikaelson," Elena stood up quickly, shaking his outstretched hand._

_When Elena tried to pull her hand back, Kol wouldn't let it go. _

_"You're most certainly welcome, Elena," he looked into her eyes intensely and Elena flushed. _

_"Goodbye," she smiled once her hand was free._

_"I will see you on Monday, Elena,"_

There again was the informality.

It was beginning to unnerve her.

And badly.

What was up with this guy?

* * *

"Elena,"

Damon's soft voice whispered in her ear, and Elena slowly came to.

"What? Where are we? What's wrong?"

She looked up, and Damon's blue eyes were warm, regarding her softly.

"You fell asleep," he told her. "We're landing soon."

She knew that she had fallen asleep. She had to have that dream. She had to be reminded of_ him._

Elena nodded despite her unease. Something in Damon's eyes told her that something was wrong. But she was just so tired to question him, let alone get into a discussion with him.

So she let it be as she peaked outside of the window, Jeremy snoring next to her.

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	15. Fourteen

**AN:** My deepest apologies with the EXTREMELY late update! I have been sincerely struggling with the next step in this story. I know where I want to take it, but I could not find a good storyline for this chapter. Especially since they are out of the country and it's only three characters, It's harder. I have had to adjust a few things in the storyline, but it will still be the same overall! And in the end, I FINALLY got the next one done, and I am already working on the next one! Thanks for the support that you all have shown this story, even in my absence. I will continue to update! Please review!

* * *

**CHAPTER 14:**

It was was about one o' clock when they landed at San Jose. Elena walked off of the plane in a haze, Jeremy eagerly ahead of her, and Damon behind her. She was so tired from all of the traveling that she was just ready to fall asleep. Unfortunately, she couldn't, at least not yet.

Elena walked over to the Carousel where her duffel, along with Damon's suitcase, were rotating on.

"Here, let me," Damon ran ahead in front of her and grabbed her duffel before she could.

"Thanks," she nodded, taking it from him.

"No problem," he smiled.

"So how far is it to your private beach house?" Jer asked.

"Not too far. Come on, I have a car waiting at the rentals."

It was a walk, but once they were there, Damon walked up to the service counter. A man with brown hair glanced up.

_"Disculpe, señor. Tengo un coche de alquiler que está esperando." _Damon spoke fluently and Elena's eyebrows raised.

She could remember Damon's attitude toward Spanish in high school. He was so hellbent on giving up Spanish, that Elena was surprised to learn that he was fluent in the language._  
_

_"Muy bien. ¿Y cuál era el nombre con el?" _The man asked as his gaze fell to his monitor.

_"Salvatore." _Damon said confidently, and Elena rolled her eyes.

_"Ah, sí. Por aquí, señor Salvatore." _

Damon gestured for her and Jeremy to walk before him, and Elena smiled.

"What?" Damon asked, a hint of a smile creeping on his face as well.

"Nothing," Elena smirked. "it's just that last I remember, you were so close to burning your Spanish One book. And now you're fluent in it?"

Damon rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, When I took over the company, I learned that you were right. It's important to know another language in life, and especially in this business,"

Elena smiled. "So, is that a 'thank you' for all of that study help?"

She remembered that one night that she and Damon had crammed for finals, and he was stressing over the Spanish final.

_How times had changed._

"Why, Elena, I think it is," he smirked.

Elena felt Damon's hand lace through hers. Her stomach instantly swelled with butterflies.

_What was she, a teenager?_

"Thank you,"

For some reason, Elena felt that he was talking about something entirely different, but she ignored it as they approached the car lot.

* * *

Elena sat in the passenger seat of the black Mercedes car that Damon had rented. They were now on some island, on their way to Damon's house. Elena glanced out the window of the car.

It was a beautiful landscape; an artist's dream. Green palm trees lined the edges of the grass, and they mingled with the wind. The sky was an oceanic blue, white clouds traveling along with it.

"How long?" Elena turned to Damon. If his property was on an island, then it was not too far. _How big could an Island be?_

"We're actually here," he announced, and Elena shifted in her seat as the car slowly pulled onto a brick driveway.

Elena stared in awe at the beach house that came into view.

Scratch that.

It wasn't a beach house.

_It was a resort._

Three stories towered above ground. The exterior was _literally _all pale white and sky high windows, similar to the windows back at Damon's apartment back in Richmond. It looked like something that Elena would easily see in some issue of a fancy international house magazine. It was modern looking, and It looked like the ultimate vacation home.

"Dude, this place is sick," Jeremy breathed as he climbed out of the car excitedly, and Elena rolled her eyes.

_Here comes the inner architect._

"Thanks," Damon smiled as he made his way to the trunk. "You guys can head on in, I'll get the luggage."

"Do you want help?" Elena turned to look at Damon, who was hauling the luggage out onto the driveway.

"No, It's fine. Go on,"

Elena nodded, and followed Jeremy, who was a good ten feet away from her, into the house.

* * *

The inside of the house was _absolutely_ breathtaking. It looked like some royal palace. It was a mix of a tropical feeling and victorian. Many expensive looking statues were outlining the walls, and Elena noticed a little study that had bookshelves so high that she couldn't see the top. The furniture and the floor were mahogany. Out back, Elena could see a balcony, an aqua pool resting in the ground, and off in the distance, she could make out the lining of the Caribbean Sea through a frame of rich green palm trees. The smell of salty sea breeze immediately filled Elena's nose, and she was suddenly _aching_ to go outside.

"Okay," Damon said as he walked through the front entrance. He set the suitcases on the landing, and took a deep breath.

"So here's how it goes. The rooms are upstairs, and the one on the left is yours," Damon said, nodding his head in Jeremy's direction, "And the one on the right is yours," Elena felt Damon's gaze land on her, and she smiled in understanding.

"How long are we going to stay here?" Jeremy asked suddenly, and Elena saw Damon's jaw tense.

"I don't know. But as long as we're safe, does it _really _matter?" he said sharply, and Jeremy flinched.

_Even Jer was scared of him._

"Okay, I'm gonna go take a walk," Jeremy said uncertainly as he backed away from Elena and Damon.

"Not so fast,"

Elena looked at Damon, and her stomach immediately filled with wariness.

_Where was Damon taking this?_

"Damon, what are you-?"

"Jeremy, that blood that Elena was sent, I went to test it as you know,"

_No. Not this. Not now. _

"Okay, and your point is...?" Jeremy frowned, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

Elena felt her stomach turn.

"Damon-" she pleaded desperately.

_This wasn't the time to do this._

"It was your blood, Jeremy."

Elena watched as Jeremy's face displayed myriad emotions, most of all, astonishment.

"What?" he breathed, his eyes wide as saucers. "B-but that's not possible. How could that be _my _blood?"

Damon narrowed his eyes. "I don't know, but it was."

Elena crossed her arms over her chest as she walked over to Jeremy.

"So, you don't know how this person got ahold of your blood?" she asked gently, and regretted her choice of words when she saw a flash of pain.

"What, you think I'm _lying?"_ he breathed, his dark eyes searching Elena's face.

As Jeremy's words sunk in, Elena felt like hammers were beating her heart into the ground.

_"No,_ Jeremy, I would _never _say that,I just-" she shook her head frantically. Jeremy could _not _think that she was suspecting him. It was _not _true at _all_.

_Didn't he know her better?_

"Forget it," he rolled his eyes as he headed out back, slamming into her shoulder as he did so.

"Jer!" Elena cried, moving to follow him. She wanted so desperately to follow him and tell him in any and every way possible that she was not in doubt of him. However, she knew that he needed time to cool off.

"What have I done?" she mumbled, looking around the mansion as if the answer was written upon the walls.

"Elena, It's not your fault-" Damon said softly, and when he moved to comfort her, Elena jumped and slid out of his grasp.

"No, you know what? You're right, Damon. It isn't my fault. It's _yours_," she snarled, narrowing her eyes at him. He was the one who brought up the subject. He was the one who just couldn't wait.

_Why the hell did he have to jump on the subject right that second?_

"Elena, he needed to know," Damon told her. The look in his eyes, she noticed, was nothing close to regret.

"Are you seriously going to stand here and try to justify what you've just done?" she asked, affronted. She had no idea why she was so fired up about this, but she was, and she wasn't backing down.

"I'm not trying to justify _anything_, Elena," he spoke softly. Elena noticed the sincerity in his eyes, but she brushed it off.

_It was too late._

"You know what? I'm just gonna go upstairs. We need some time apart," Elena turned on her heel and stomped up the stairs, turning into the right door.

Elena plopped down on the soft mattress, and she immediately felt herself sinking into it. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and sighed.

Her relaxation was cut short as her phone vibrated in her pocket. Sitting up, she dug it out and glanced at the caller ID.

_Caroline._

Before she could think, she answered it.

_Bad mistake, Elena!_

"Caroline," she sighed, trying to smile. How could she sound convincing to Caroline if she wasn't convinced herself?

_"God, Elena!"_ Caroline gasped, relief melting through her voice. _"Thank God you're alright! I was worried about you,"_

Elena felt her heart warm that Caroline was worried about her.

_She's your best friend. Why _wouldn't _she be worried about you?_

"I'm fine, Caroline. Thanks for worrying," she said gratefully, and suddenly, Elena frowned.

_What was Caroline talking about?_

_"Where the _hell _are you?" _Caroline hissed._ "I call you, and I get some weird message about International calling? I don't remember signing up for that plan, Elena, so either I need to call my carrier and bitch them the _hell _out, or you're out of the country."_

Elena swallowed. What was she supposed to tell Caroline? Caroline knew nothing of the threats. And she was supposed to tell her all of it now?

_That was likely._

"I-"

_"Don't lie to me, Elena."_ Caroline snapped.

_Great. Here goes._

"I'm in Costa Rica," she sighed, "With Damon. And Jeremy."

Elena's anxiety grew with every passing second that silence hung in the air, and It seemed like an eternity until Caroline spoke again through the phone.

_"What?" _she exclaimed, her voice cracking. Elena pulled the phone from her ear in hopes that she wasn't about to lose her hearing.

_"Why the hell are you in Costa Rica? And with Damon?" _ she snapped, and Elena scowled.

_God, Caroline, take a chill pill!_

"It's a _long_ story, Care, and I'll tell you-"

"No more dodging, Elena. Spill,"

After about ten minutes, Caroline knew everything.

_"What the hell? Why the fuck didn't you tell me this earlier?" _Caroline's voice pierced Elena's ear.

"It wasn't safe, and now, we're out of the country, and we have _no _leads on anything here," she said sadly. Why hadn't the thought this trip through? They had nobody to tell them any news, because nobody knew _anything._ Elena hoped that now that Caroline was in the light, she could be their spy back in Richmond.

_"That still doesn't give you a free pass, Elena! God, we are _best friends,_ and you kept this from me?"_ Caroline's hurt was louder than a sonic boom through the phone.

"Caroline, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. I just wanted to keep you and Bonnie safe," she explained. "After the whole thing with Kol, it was just too risky,"

"I understand, Elena. I'm just a little annoyed that you didn't say anything sooner. We could've done something," Caroline sighed.

"I know. But we're safe here, and I just would appreciate it if you would keep an eye out for us." she asked. "And please, don't tell Damon that I told you. He'd _freak_ out."

Elena felt her heart quicken with anxiety at the thought of Damon knowing of her and Caroline's conversation.

Caroline sighed obnoxiously, and Elena bit her lip. _Caroline wouldn't deny her in her time of need._

"Fine," she said, "But don't be gone forever," Caroline ordered.

Elena sighed with relief.

After a few minutes, she had wrapped up her and Caroline's phone conversation and decided to go out back for a walk. Jeremy had returned and retired to his room, so the beach was vacant. Plus, it was a beautiful day outside, and the backyard was practically calling her name.

Elena slid off her satin purple top that she had worn on the flight and tossed it onto the bed. She was just sliding off her pants when a knock sounded at the door.

"Elena?" Damon's voice echoed through her ears, and she shot up.

_Perfect. _

"J-just a m-minute," she stuttered, rushing to slip on her amber bikini and her white cover-up. When she was covered to her satisfaction, she cleared her throat.

"You can come in." she hollered, her voice shaky, and watched as the door slid open, and Damon's head poked around it.

"What's going on?" he asked, his eyebrows knit together.

"I-I was just going to go sit out back near the shore," she said as she shuffled on her feet.

Even though she was wearing a cover up, she still felt like she was exposed awkwardly. Coincidently, that was her life.

And, surely, Elena didn't miss the fact that Damon's eyes were roaming up and down her body. Elena immediately felt her cheeks heat.

_Damn._

"Oh, well, I'm going to run out to get some things in town. Jeremy's home. I won't be gone long," he told her, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

"Are you alright?" he asked her softly, and Elena nodded quickly, perhaps _too _quickly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." she bit her lip. The second that she had done it, she immediately released it.

_Damn her nervous habits. _Elena frowned, suddenly confused.

_Why the hell was she nervous?_

"Okay," she nodded and Damon narrowed his eyes in what she assumed to be suspicion, and before she knew it, he disappeared.

Elena sat on the edge of the bed and put her head in her hands.

_What the hell was happening to her? _She was never this jumpy. _And why was she so nervous around Damon? He's nothing to be afraid of._

Deciding to bury her thoughts, Elena shook them off as she stood up and headed out to the beach.

* * *

After about fifteen or twenty minutes of wandering up and down the shore, Elena settled for a nice and cozy shelter a way from Damon's house underneath a set of rich green palm trees. The sun was shadowed by the shade, and Elena lay back into the sand and sighed.

This was what she liked. This moment, where nothing was bothering her. Nothing was threatening her, and she was safe. Damon and Jeremy were safe.

However, Elena kept thinking how long they were going to stay on the island for. Now that Caroline was in on everything, surely something would happen, but what? Elena didn't want to think about what that would be when the time came. And it would come.

As she sat on the coast, Elena glanced out at the sea as the sun beginning to set along the horizon. The reflection of the sun on the surface of the ocean was mesmerizing, a parallel mirror for the blazing rays. Elena had never seen a more beautiful sunset. Even those pictures in magazines didn't compare. It was much more beautiful in person.

Elena began to trace patterns into the sand with her finger subconsciously. When she looked down, she was in the middle of sketching a heart. Elena looked at it as if she'd never seen such as thing in her life. It was hypnotizing.

_Why had she drawn a heart?_

"There you are,"

Elena looked up to see Damon jogging toward her, looking relieved.

Elena quickly smeared her drawings away.

"So much for just laying by the shore out back," Damon sat down beside her, looking out at the sea as well.

"Hi to you, too," Elena replied, smiling warmly.

"What are you doing all the way out here all alone?" he wondered.

"Nothing really," she sighed, "Just thinking."

"About what?" he wondered. Elena looked over at him, his blue eyes rich with interest.

"About a lot of things." she said as she began to draw in the sand once again. Everything was finally catching up to her. She didn't have any time to process all of the events that had occurred in the past week.

"Why here?"

Elena had blurted out the question before she even thought about it. Not that it was a dangerous question. It was just unexpected.

Damon's eyebrows knitted together.

"What do you mean?" he asked, frowning at Elena.

"Why Costa Rica?" she asked, turning to face him. He nodded in understanding.

"I was looking for a nice place to keep a vacation home, and at the time that I bought it, I was doing work with Costa Rica for the company," he shrugged.

"Oh," Elena said, and she stretched her legs out, and when she accidentally bumped Damon's foot, she drew her leg back instantly.

"Sorry," she giggled.

"It's fine," Damon said softly, and when Elena looked at him, he was looking down at his hands.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly. If something was bothering Damon, she would need to be as gentle as a feather to him.

"Do you ever wonder what life would've been like if things had gone differently?"

Elena blinked.

_Since when was Damon so deep?_

This wasn't anything close to what she would've expected Damon to say. He hardly got on such a fragile level with anyone, let alone her. Why now? Why was he talking like this?

As Elena wondered this, she also considered his question. She would be lying to him, and herself, if she answered no. Too many things in life could've been differently. Anybody could say that.

"I don't know. I suppose sometimes, yes. Why?" she asked warily, searching his face for anything near an answer.

"I just keep thinking like I'm missing something," he looked up at her, and Elena saw something that she rarely saw in his eyes.

It was regret.

_What was up with him lately?_

"Damon, are you alright?" she asked him softly, searching his blue eyes. But all Elena saw was her reflection.

"I don't know," he said quietly, and Elena frowned.

"Why are you talking like ... like you're stumped?"

_Was that the right word?_

"Because there's been a lot of things in my life that I am baffled about how they turned out,"

_So cryptic._

"Like what?" she wondered, and when she saw his walls go up, she immediately regretted asking the question.

"Doesn't matter," he murmured.

_Don't do that pouting. Not now._

"Damon, don't shut me out," Elena took his hands in hers. "Talk to me," she urged desperately.

_Still nothing._

After minutes of silence, Elena let go of his hands, and scooted away from him.

_How can he be so open one second and barricaded off the next?_

"I'm hot," Elena sighed, fanning herself with her hand as she untied her cover-up and opened it a little Normally, she wouldn't have done so, but due to the humidity, she was in no position to protest.

"It is getting pretty hot out here," Damon agreed.

Elena turned to look at him. Suddenly, his eyes were shining with something that she'd seen in him once before. It was something like a child's eyes.

"What do you mean?" she giggled, and suddenly, she knew exactly what he meant.

_God, you're stupid. He's agreeing with you._

Suddenly, before she could realize what was happening, Damon was on his feet, and she was now being scooped up in his arms. She looked down at the ground, her cover-up laying in her place.

"Damon!" she squealed, kicking her legs in protest. "What are you doing?"

_What had happened to the deep, guarded Damon that she had just been conversing with not a minute ago?_

"You said you were hot. I think you need to cool off a bit, Elena," he smirked, and suddenly Elena was whisked upside down over Damon's shoulder.

"No, Damon, please!" she squealed, all of the blood rushing to her head as she saw the ocean coming closer into view. "Let me go, Damon!" she giggled, and she hated that she was enjoying this.

_Damn him and his childish behavior. It was contagious._

"Damon, let me go!" Elena whimpered as she squirmed in his arms. She noticed him gripping tighter with each of her struggles. Soon enough, Damon stood in the water, his knees barely covered by the ocean.

"As you wish," he whispered in her ear. Suddenly, Elena felt him pull her back and release.

"NO, Damon-!"

Unfortunately, it was too late, and Elena was plunged into the chilly water. She resurfaced moments later, spluttering and coughing. Her hair was now sopping wet, and her shirt was see-through.

"You're _such _a child sometimes," she said, attempting to sound upset. But Damon's smile was quickly getting to her.

"Aw, Come on, Elena," Damon smirked, stepping through the water towards her. Elena immediately took a step backwards. She wouldn't give in easily.

"Don't think that you can run away from me, Elena," he smirked, excitement glittering in his eyes.

Suddenly, at the look in his eyes, Elena's inner child emerged.

_This could be fun._

"Try and catch me," she grinned, and ran through the dense water and out onto the shore. Damon was still in the water when she got a burst of adrenaline.

Elena ran along the sand, her feet slapping against the grains, leaving dark shadows of her feet, and before she knew it, she was back in the ocean, and Damon was on her tail. _No, _she thought determinedly. He _wouldn't _catch her.

_She would make sure of it._

"Ah! Damon!" Elena squealed when she felt Damon's arms lace around her waist, pulling her to him from behind.

_Damn._

_So much for determination._

"I caught you," he whispered huskily in her ear, and she felt dizzy. A burst of warmth shocked through her body unexpectedly.

"Congratulations," she giggled, and suddenly, she felt herself falling backwards with Damon. He let out a grunting noise as he landed into the water, and Elena coughed as water ran into her mouth.

"Sorry!" she grinned, bursting into laughter as she looked up at the sky. "Are you alright?"

Elena felt Damon nod as he winced. "Fine,"

Elena rolled over to face Damon, and she noticed that his arms were still wrapped around her waist as she looked down at him. He brought his thumb up to her cheek, and just as he went to caress it, someone was calling Elena's name.

Elena shot up, looking around. Jeremy was running toward them. Something was wrong. Elena knew it. Immediately, Elena scattered to her feet, followed by Damon, and they met him halfway along the shore.

"Jer, what's wrong?" Elena asked desperately when she and Damon caught up to him. She looked up at him fearfully.

"Caroline called!" He said, and Elena felt her head become dizzy with worry.

"What's wrong? Is she okay?" Elena felt her world closing in on her.

_ Not Caroline. Not Caroline!_

_When would the trauma go away?_

"She's fine," Jeremy swallowed, and Elena breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank god," Elena laughed. "I thought something bad had happened."

Jeremy was silent.

_It wasn't Caroline._

_It was someone else._

"What is it, Jer?" she asked sternly, "What happened?"

"It's Meredith, she-"

Elena's eyes widened, and she felt Damon grip her hand.

"Oh, my god," she choked.

_If Meredith was hurt... where was her son?_

"What happened to her?" Elena cried, and was answered with Jeremy' silence.

She was beginning to go crazy. She _knew _that he wasn't telling her something.

"Damn it, Jeremy! What happened?" she demanded.

"She was in an accident."

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	16. Fifteen

**CHAPTER 15:**

_"She was in an accident."_

"Oh, my god,"

Elena felt her heart being squeezed so hard that it was breaking.

"When did this happen? Is she alive? What about Ryan?" Elena was beginning to hyperventilate as she repeated that last question.

"Oh, god! What about Ryan?" she cried, tears pouring down her face.

Her baby was fine. He was fine.

He had to be.

"About an hour ago. Caroline called about five minutes ago, and all she said is that Meredith was in a car accident, and she's alive. Ryan wasn't with her."

"Oh, thank God!" Elena sobbed, relieved. Her son was fine, but her friend was not.

"We have to go back to Richmond!" she exclaimed, and Damon nodded.

"I'll call a cab to come pick us up," he announced as he headed into the house.

* * *

It was two o' clock in the morning as Elena sat in the car beside Damon and Jeremy on the way to the Hospital. The second that they touched back down in the United States, Elena immediately dialed Caroline's number. She had informed Elena that Meredith was in the ICU, but that she is expected to make a full recovery. Caroline was on her way to the hospital with Bonnie when they hung up.

"We're here," Damon told Elena softly as the hospital came into view, and she hopped out of the car and ran inside the building.

"Hello, Miss. How can I help you?" A blonde woman behind the reception desk greeted snidely as Elena stepped inside of the lobby.

"Hi," she said quickly. She was in too big of a hurry to care about the woman's attitude. She needed to get to the point. "We're looking for Meredith Fell."

The blonde woman nodded and looked downward at her monitor. Elena felt like every passing second was an eternity. She vaguely noticed Damon and Jeremy approach the desk from behind.

"Well, Miss-"

"Gilbert," Elena said.

"Miss Gilbert, it looks like Mrs. Fell is in room 306. Here's some visitor's passes for you all. Have you been up there before?" The woman handed Elena a sticker with the current date on it, and Elena nodded as she put it on her chest. Damon and Jeremy did the same.

"No, we haven't," Damon answered before Elena could. She scoffed at the look that the receptionist gave him.

Get over him, lady. He's taken.

Wait...

Was she jealous of the receptionist?

"Okay, well go down that hall, and turn left to the elevators." the receptionist told him, and Elena shook her thoughts off. She didn't have time to dwell on that, as she ran toward the elevators. Pressing the '"UP" button, she stood back and waited impatiently.

After decades, the Elevator arrived, and Elena, Damon and Jeremy stepped inside of it.

"Two," Elena said as Damon went to press the button.

As she saw the number two light up red, Elena sighed.

"Meredith will be fine, Elena." Jeremy said, and Elena nodded.

"I know. I-I'm worried about Ryan," Elena choked, and she couldn't recognize her own voice.

Damon took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"He'll be fine. He needs his mother right now." Damon smiled sympathetically at her, and Elena shook her head sadly.

"I'm not his mother, I-"

"Yes, you are. And he will need you," he told her, and Elena thought that she saw something like sadness in his eyes.

The rest of the ride was filled with silence, and suddenly, the doors were pulling back, revealing a set of tan double doors.

Elena burst through the doors, and Caroline and Bonnie came into view. They were sitting down in the corner near the aquarium talking. Elena stopped in place when she saw Ryan in Caroline's lap.

Thank God.

"Elena!" Caroline exclaimed, as she looked up. She stood up with Ryan and held him out for Elena to take.

"E-yena!" he giggled and threw his arms around her neck.

"Hi, Ryan," she smiled warmly, and set him on her hip as she sat down next to Bonnie and Caroline.

"Hi," she said as she turned to them. "How's Meredith?"

"We haven't heard anything yet," Bonnie told her sadly as Damon and Jeremy took a seat across from them.

"What happened?" Elena's voice cracked.

"Meredith was out driving home, and some loser wasn't paying attention. And he-he hit her car," Caroline said softly, sympathy gleaming in her eyes.

"Oh, god," Elena's hand flew to her mouth. "Is she going to make it?"

"I don't know, the doctors haven't told us anything as we're not family. But it sounds like she will," Bonnie smiled warmly, and Elena felt the weight being lifted off of her shoulders.

"Thank God." she smiled.

Just then, Elena heard footsteps and looked up.

"Are you all here for Meredith Fell?" The taller, with blonde hair, asked.

"Yes. Is there anything?" Elena stood up and walked over to them.

"Well, we cannot disclose any information, unless you are part of family." the man narrowed his eyes on her, and Elena straightened up.

"I'm her son's Godmother." she said.

"Oh. Well, it looks like Meredith had a close call, but we feel confident that she will make a full recovery."

Elena let out her held breath.

Meredith would be fine.

"How long do you suppose that she will be in here?" she asked.

The blonde doctor shifted, and he looked almost uncomfortable. "It's hard to say. While we are expecting her to make a full recovery, we aren't exactly sure when that would be." he told her.

"Okay, thank you." Elena smiled. As she turned to sit down, she heard the doctor's voice again.

"Oh, and she's awake now, if you'd like to see her."

* * *

Elena stood with Ryan at the end of Meredith's bed. She was hooked up to all sorts of wires, and there was an IV in her arms. A tube was through her nose, and her eyes were closed.

So much for "she's awake now,".

"Elena?"

Elena looked up, and sure enough, Meredith's dark eyes were hazily staring at her.

"Hi, Meredith," Elena smiled, waving at Meredith.

"W-What happened? Where am I?" Meredith's soft voice strained.

Elena took a deep breath. "You're in the hospital. You were in an accident," she said cautiously. Did Meredith remember any of it? If she didn't, then this would be difficult.

"Oh, my god," Meredith breathed. "Ryan-"  
"He's right here," Elena moved over to stand beside Meredith, who followed her over with her gaze.

"Oh, Elena," Meredith's voice cracked, and Elena saw tears clouding her dark eyes.

"It's okay, Meredith. You're fine. He's fine," Elena cooed, feeling her own tears emerging. She needed to be strong for the three of them.

She just didn't know if she could be.

"You have to take him, Elena," Meredith sobbed, and Elena felt her heart stop.

"Meredith-"

"He's safer with you, and you're his mother."

She understood. Ryan was at such a young age that in reality, he didn't know what was going on. Plus, there was no telling how long Meredith would be in the hospital, and no one else was around to take care of him.

Suddenly, as everything that was going on with her attacker came into her mind, Elena felt that she couldn't possibly take care of him. Ryan was already the target of her attacker, and if she took him in, then the attacker would know that she had him.

Yet, if Elena knew that Ryan was with her, then she would know that he would be safe.

"He needs you right now, and he doesn't have anyone else," Meredith sobbed, and Elena nodded.

She would do this for Meredith and Ryan

She would die before anybody harmed her son.

"Yes, I will take him," she told Meredith, who smiled with relief.

* * *

Elena walked toward the waiting room, and it looked like nobody had moved since she left. Caroline was still beside Bonnie, and Damon and Jeremy sat across from them.

"What happened?" Caroline asked when Elena came into view.

"Meredith's fine. The doctors don't know how long she will be here, but she's going to make it," she smiled. Everyone in the room sighed with relief.

"Wow, that's great," Bonnie cheered.

"Yeah," Elena agreed, staring at her feet.

"What's wrong?"

Elena looked up, and Damon regarded her with suspicion.

He needed to know. Better now than later.

"Meredith asked me to take care of Ryan while she's here,"

Damon's mouth fell open, and Caroline and Bonne gasped.

"But how are you going to do that? All of his stuff is at Meredith's house." Caroline asked, confusion laced in her voice.

Elena pulled out the key that Meredith gave her before she left her room.

"She gave me the key to her house. I'll probably take some of his things over to my house."

"No, you can bring it over to my house." Damon shook his head.

"What? Damon, that's way too much-"

"It's fine. I have plenty of room for him." Damon smiled at her.

"Damon-" she protested.

She couldn't ask that of him. He didn't need to deal with this anymore. It was her situation to deal with, not his.

"No arguing. It's done. We'll stop by on our way home." he said sternly, and Elena was immediately silenced.

"I think we're gonna head out, now that we know that everything's fine," Bonnie sighed as she stood up beside Caroline.

"Us too," Damon said as he got to his feet.

"Everything will be alright, Elena." Bonnie said softly, and pulled Elena into a hug. "Meredith's fine."

"I know," Elena nodded against Bonnie's neck. She was still worried sick over her friend's close call. And Ryan didn't even know what was going on.

"Thank you guys, for coming in," Elena told them as Bonnie pulled away.

"Yeah, no problem." Bonnie smiled. "Take care, you guys."

"Bye, guys," Elena, along with Damon and Jeremy, said as Caroline and Bonnie headed toward the exit.

"We'll see you guys later," Caroline and Bonnie waved as they walked out of the double doors.

"So, we'll hit Meredith's on the way back to my place." Damon said as he looked at Elena, who was holding Ryan, sleeping on her shoulder. Jeremy stood up beside them and yawned.

"Okay," she nodded in agreement, despite her urge to argue with him. She was beginning to get annoyed with Damon's insistency of how she should live her life. Meredith's house came into view, Elena turned toward the backseat.

"Jer, can you take Ryan while I run in and grab a few things?" she asked, and Jeremy sat up and held his hands out.

"Sure," he nodded, and Elena handed him to Jeremy.

"Thanks," she said as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "I'll be right back." She hopped out of the car and pulled out the key to Meredith's house.

Once inside, she reached around for the switch through the darkness. The second that she found it, she switched it on.

* * *

As Meredith's house was a small and cozy place, and Elena saw scattered toys across the carpeted floor to her right. A set of wooden stairs lay in front of her, and elena found herself climbing up them. Once she reached the top, she saw a cracked door which led to a colorful room, and opened it on the off chance that it was Ryan's.

The walls were a light blue, with clouds and rockets plastered to the walls. There was a crib and a changing station, both colored in white.

Elena reached down and saw a duffel of supplies near the changing station. Grabbing it, she threw in a few toys and slung it over her shoulder before she walked out of the room.

Five minutes later, Elena shut the door tightly to Meredith's house and walked down the rickety steps towards Damon's car.

"Here," Damon hopped out of the car and came around to her side and slid the duffel off of her shoulder and took it from her.

"Thank you," she said as she climbed in the car.

"No problem." He said, and Elena slid in the front seat as he threw the duffel into the trunk.

* * *

It was about ten minutes when they reached Damon's place, and Elena walked over to the couch and took a seat with Ryan still in her hands.

"Im gonna go to bed." Jeremy said as he walked toward his room. "Night, guys,"

"Goodnight, Jer," Elena said.

As she heard his door shut, Elena turned to Damon.

"I'll sleep out here with Ryan." Elena said as she caressed Ryan's back.

"Are you sure?" Damon asked, looking at Elena as if he didn't believe her.

"Yeah. The bed's too high for him, and I'll be fine." she shrugged.

"Okay," he sighed, and just as he went to go to bed, he turned around suddenly.

"Oh, I forgot something." he said, walking back toward them.

"This couch is a pullout." Damon bent down and switched a lever and Elena watched as the couch transformed into a bed.

"Oh, that's nice," she said, yawning.

"Do you need anything?" he asked gently, and Elena shook her head.

"Get some sleep." Damon smiled, stroking her cheek, suddenly surprising her. Damon always surprised her.

"Goodnight, Elena," he said softly.

"Goodnight, Damon," she told him.

After she heard Damon's door shut, Elena sat on the edge of the bed. Miraculously, Ryan was still sleeping as she gently set him aside her. Elena stripped out of her clothes and went to grab a tank top and shorts from her suitcase which was near the door. Once she was done, Elena wandered over to the bed and carefully climbed in under the sheets. She turned to face Ryan and pulled him toward her as she drifted off.

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	17. Sixteen

**AN: **Hey guys! Sorry for the confusion! I meant to add something in before I uploaded it, but forgot to! So this is a repost of the recent chapter that I put up earlier today. It hopefully clears up some of the confusion! :) Sorry and thanks for letting me know! If you've already read this, I suggest reading it again to make things clearer! It's added in the first half of the story!

* * *

**CHAPTER 16:**

Elena sat at the table, with Ryan in her lap as she sipped a glass of orange juice. She was in the middle of reading the "Jobs" section of the newspaper. It was nearly nine-thirty, and not one sound came about other than the sipping of Elena's orange juice.

"E-yena, I'm hung-ee," Ryan said as he twisted a piece of Elena's hair in his tiny hands.

"Oh, you're hungry?" Elena smiled, and she set her glass on the table and stood up with Ryan.

He nodded, and Elena giggled.

"Well, let's see what we have," she said as she walked over to the fridge. Once she opened it, she saw assortments of food, ranging from meats to fruits to drinks to sauces.

"I'm first-ee," Ryan said.

"Do you want some milk?" Elena pointed at the carton in the doorway, and Ryan nodded excitedly.

"Okay," Elena giggled, and set Ryan on her hip as she grabbed the carton and shut the door with her foot. She walked over to the counter and placed the milk on top of it, and then walked over to fetch the duffel that she had collected from Meredith's.

"Let's see where Meredith put your cups." she said to herself as she bent down and dug around in the bag.

"Aha," Elena gripped something hard as she pulled out a blue sippy-cup. "Here we go,"

Elena walked back over to the counter and held Ryan as she unscrewed the lid of the cup and poured a bit of milk into his sippy cup. After she screwed the lid back on, she handed the little cup to Ryan, who devoured the drink.

"You're up."

Elena turned around, and Damon was leaning against the door frame, smiling at her.

"Yeah, we woke up early," she shrugged.

"Did you guys sleep well?" he asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"Yeah," she smiled as she went to sit down at the table with Ryan. Elena picked up the newspaper again and resumed reading it.

"What are you reading?" Damon asked as he sat down across from her.

"The newspaper. I'm looking for a job." she said as she folded the paper over to the other side.

"Why are you looking for a job?" Damon scoffed, and Elena looked up at him.

_Why not?_

"I thought since I'm taking care of Ryan for a while, I might get a job." she told him.

"You don't need a job," he said.

_Was he serious?_

"Yes, I do. I'm responsible for my son, Damon. And with responsibility comes finance."

"I can cover that stuff." he offered, but Elena shook her head.

"Damon, I can't let you support me and my son. That's too much to ask." she said, urging him to see her point of view. Right now, she was responsible for her son, and she alone. She wasn't about to let Damon support her son. It was her responsibility.

"It's nothing, Elena. Let me pay for his things." He offered.

"I appreciate it, but no." Elena shook her head, and she noticed Damon's jaw tense. He was building up a fight, and she wasn't going to change her mind. "I'm not going to back down on this, Damon."

Seconds passed without a word from Damon, and Elena was beginning to get anxious. _What would he say or do next? Anything? Nothing?_

"Damn it, Elena," Damon ran a hand through his hair, and Elena gasped. Did Damon really just swear in front of her son?

"Damon, please use a different word." she asked politely.

Damon blinked, but he said nothing.

"Fine." he snapped suddenly, and Elena let out her breath.

"Why are you so against me taking care of myself?" she wondered. Ever since he'd entered her life again, he was so hellbent on helping her out, or taking care of her. And while at times it was nice, but it was also beginning to piss her off.

"I'm not. All i know is that there is someone out there who is looking to hurt you and your son, Elena. I don't want to see either of you hurt. And your new "Obligation to Work" phase is putting you in harm's way!"

"But, Damon, We haven't heard anything more from him!" Elena reminded him as she took his hand in hers. "I'm fine. We're fine. Just because I feel responsible for my son doesn't mean that I would go walking around the city alone at night. I know that we're in danger. But can we really live our lives in fear?" she asked. "I'm an adult, Damon. I can take care of myself."

Elena waited patiently for Damon to respond. She wanted him to see her point. There was nothing getting accomplished by them staying trapped up in another country, or his apartment. The whole Costa Rica thing was a bit exaggerated. But Damon was so determined to protect her. While it was comforting knowing that he cared that much about her to do that, it was also sucking away her independence. If stayed locked up, then nothing would happen except the blackmailer would know that he had power over them. And that was something that Elena was not willing to surrender to him.

"Yes, you can," he nodded, his eyes hooded.

* * *

It was about three o' clock, and Elena was in the bathroom applying make-up to her face. Her hair was up in a ponytail, and she was just finishing up with a rosy colored lipstick. She was on her way to scavenger for a job in town, and she had no idea how long she would be.

As Elena finished, she gathered her cosmetics and put them back in her make-up pouch. Switching the light off, she stepped out of the bathroom and wandered into the great room, where Damon and Jeremy were.

"Could you two watch Ryan? I'm going to run a couple of errands." Elena asked as she approached them on the couch. At the sound of her voice, Damon and Jeremy immediately turned around.

"Sure. Where you going?" Jeremy nodded as he stood up to take Ryan from her.

"Just going to look at some job offers. I won't be too long." she told him.

"Do you need a ride?" Damon asked, getting to his feet.

"No," she shook her head quickly. "Caroline's taking me." she lied. She didn't want Damon to quiz her in the car about where she was applying, and if he didn't like it, try to talk her out of it.

It was for the best.

"Okay. We'll see you when you get back." Damon smiled, and Elena headed out the door.

* * *

Elena was just about to hit her last option for employment as she stepped into the bar and grill, Smith's. It was a cozy little bar, dimly lit and entertaining. It vaguely reminded Elena of the bar that Damon had taken her to last week.

Elena looked around, and a tall man with brunette hair that stood up. His dark eyes were warm as they greeted her.

"Hello. How can I help you?" he said.

"Hi. I was wondering if I could talk to your boss?" Elena asked.

"Speaking. I'm Elijah Smith," The man smiled warmly as he held out his hand. "How can I assist you?"

"Hi. Elena Gilbert," she replied as she took his hand and shook it firmly. "I was wondering, do you have any job offerings?"

Elijah nodded as he chuckled. "As a matter of fact, we do. Would you like to apply?"

"Yes, please." Elena nodded.

Elijah bent down and reached for something under the counter. When he resurfaced, he held a blue piece of paper. "Here's an application form." he said as he handed Elena the sheet. "You can just hang out here and fill it out. We can actually do an interview when you're finished, if you'd like."

Elena smiled. If she would land this job, she would be so excited and proud of herself. _Things were going good._

"Great. Thank you." she said as she turned toward the dinning tables. Suddenly, she turned around. "Excuse me?"

Elijah too turned to face her. "Yes?"  
"Do you have a pen that I could borrow?" she asked shyly, and Elijah reached for something, hopefully a pen.

"Here." he tossed the pen to her, and Elena caught it perfectly.

"Good catch." he admired, pointing a finger at her.  
"Thank you." Elena waved as she wandered over to a booth and glanced at the application.

* * *

"Well, Elena, It seems that you would fit in very well here." Elijah complimented as he scanned Elena's completed application. The interview had just wrapped up, and he was nearly done with reviewing her application.

"Thank you." she smiled at him.

Elijah cleared his throat as he repositioned himself. "In fact, I would like to offer you a position."

"Really?" she gasped, shocked. _That was fast._

Elijah nodded. "We have a new position open as a waitress, and I'd like to offer you that position."

Elena didn't hesitate to accept.

_Why should she?_

"Wow. Thank you _so_ much, Mr. Smith. I _really_ appreciate it." Elena grinned as Elijah began to stood up. She followed his actions, and outstretched her hand.

"It's my pleasure, Miss Gilbert." Elijah's dark eyes lit up with sincerity as they shook hands. Elena noticed how warm and soft his hand was.

"So, when would you like me to start?" she asked, flustered as she took her hand away from his.

"Say, tomorrow at eleven?" he wondered.

"At night?" Elena gasped. That was absurd.

"No, Elena. Eleven in the morning." Elijah chuckled, and Elena couldn't help the slight stab of pain that evolved from his laughter.

"Oh, right, I knew that," Elena laughed softly, though the hurt in her voice must've been evident, as Elijah's laughter ceased.

"I look forward to seeing you tomorrow," he told her.

"Good day. And thank you, Mr. Smith," Elena waved as she headed out the door.

Once she was hit with the bathing heat, Elena realized something wonderful.

_She had a job._

Just then, Elena jumped at the vibration coming from her purse. Hastily, she scrambled for her phone and pulled it out.

**_From Rebekah: Hey, Elena. Listen. Lexi, Rose and I are throwing a wake for Bree. Her family contacted us, and we would like to do something for them. And we would appreciate it if you would attend. It's tomorrow evening at six at Richmond Banquet Hall._**

**_x R_**

Elena stared at her phone in shock. They were throwing Bree a wake? And they wanted her to attend? She had not seen them in nearly a week, and they still wanted her to be there? She was touched that they reached out to her.

Elena immediately dialed Rebekah's number, and was disappointed when she received her voicemail. At the beep, Elena cleared her throat.

"Hi, Rebekah. It's me. I've just received your message. I'd love to come. Thank you for inviting me. I'm sorry I've been M.I.A. from work lately, and I'll fill you girls in tomorrow. Thanks again. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Bringing the phone down from her ear, Elena pressed the end button and dialed Damon's number.

"Elena?" He answered after the first ring.

"Damon. Can you come pick me up at Smith's Bar?"

* * *

It was near five-thirty as Elena and Damon stepped through his front door.

"E-yena!"

Elena slipped off her coat as Jeremy stood in the hall, holding Ryan as he faced her.

"Hey, sweetie," Elena giggled as she walked over toward Jeremy, who was now holding Ryan out for her. "I missed you," she ruffled his hair once he was in her arms.

"I-I missed you, too," he smiled as he clung to her neck.

"So, you got a job?"

Elena turned to face Jeremy, who was now siting down at the kitchen table.

"Yeah, I got a job." she nodded, smiling.

"Cool. Where?" Jeremy asked as Damon and Elena walked further into the kitchen.

"Oh, at Smith's bar." Elena said. "It's a nice place. Nothing like my old job," Elena shuddered at the thought.

"So no stripping?" Jeremy laughed, and Elena debated whether or not she should hand Ryan to Damon so she could slap Jeremy.

"No, I'm all covered." Elena chuckled.

"Good." Damon walked up beside her, and Elena turned to face him.

"Yeah." she agreed as Ryan snuggled closer to her.

"Aww, are you sleepy, sweetie?" she asked as she rubbed Ryan's back.

"Mmm-hmm." he touched her face.

"Well, I suppose it is time for a nap." she said, yawning. She had been running around all morning, and she was tired as hell. it wouldn't hurt to lay down for awhile with Ryan.

"You're going to take a nap with him?" Jeremy asked.

"Yeah, he's tired. I'm tired." she shrugged. "Perfect timing."

"Okay. Well, nap well." Damon smirked, and Elena felt her cheeks tingle. Just as she was about to bid them good afternoon, Elena remembered something.

"Oh, hey, Jer?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you do me a favor tomorrow evening and watch Ryan for me?"

"Er, yeah, I guess. Why? Where do you need to go?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Rebekah messaged me. She and the other girls are throwing a wake for Bree. She invited me to come. It's tomorrow at six at some hall." she explained.

"Oh, Richmond Banquet Hall?" Jeremy asked and Elena nodded.

"I've been there for some classes. Yeah, sure." Jeremy agreed as he ripped open a box of crackers and poured a glass of soda.

"I could watch him." Damon offered, and when Elena looked over at him.

"Well, I was actually hoping that you'd go with me." Elena said shyly. It was true. She knew that she would have a good time with her friends, but in truth, she really could use the support from Damon. "You know, because the girls are gonna be busy with the event, and I won't know many people there apart from them." she explained hastily.

For some reason, Elena felt like she needed to explain her reasons for wanting Damon to attend the wake with her.

_Why the hell was that? He would say yes anyway._

"Oh. Yeah, sure." Damon smiled _warmly_, and Elena nodded.

"Thank you." she returned his smile, and Ryan moaned.

"I'm gonna go," Elena said, gesturing to Ryan, and Damon nodded.

"See you later." Damon said.

* * *

Elena's eyes opened slowly, and she glanced around despite the fact that she couldn't see anything but darkness. Given it was dark, Elena knew that it was late in the night, or early morning.

Glancing over to the alarm clock, Elena saw that it was ten forty-five. Ryan was still fast asleep beside her. Elena carefully slid out of bed, trying not to wake him up, as she tip-toed toward the door. Opening it quietly, Elena squeezed through the crack and shut the door behind her.

The hallway was dimly lit, and Elena could see that Jeremy's room was shut, but Damon's was wide open. Deciding to see if he was up, Elena wandered into the door frame, but stopped once she saw that his bed was empty.

_Where was he?_

Elena made her way to the great room, and the red lights that hovered over the kitchen table were dimly lit, as well as the lights in the kitchen. When Elena turned, she saw someone sitting outside on the balcony.

_Damon._

Immediately, Elena wandered over to the entrance and opened the door.

Damon turned around, and Elena carefully closed the door behind her.

"Hey," he said softly, eyeing Elena curiously as she came around to sit beside him on the stone bench.

"What are you doing up?" she asked him as she wrapped her arms around her.

"Couldn't sleep," he sighed as he took a drink from a cup that Elena just noticed. It looked like wine, but she wasn't sure. "You?"

"I actually just woke up. Apparently, he and I were both tired,"

"Yeah, you slept through dinner. I came to wake you up, but you looked exhausted." he said softly, eyeing her intently.

"Oh," Elena said, looking down at her feet. Damon could've woken them up. She was surprised that he didn't.

"You know, you're really good with him." Damon said suddenly, and Elena looked over at him.

"Thank you." she breathed, taken by his sudden compliment.

"Yep." he shrugged, and drowned back the rest of his drink. Setting the glass against the stone, he cleared his throat. "Why do you want me to come with you to the wake?"

Elena froze, once again shocked by Damon. She didn't expect him to ask her. She didn't even know the answer herself.

"I just thought that it would be a really long event, and the girls would be busy."

"So you decided to bring me along to endure the same torture?" Damon smirked.

"No, of course not." she giggled. "Honestly, I just wanted you to come with me," she admitted once she realized that she was not getting a better answer than that. And it was that simple. She wanted him to attend the wake with her.

"Oh."

"But, i-if you don't want to go, then-" She countered. If Damon didn't really want to go, then she wouldn't be one to force him to go. She wasn't like that.

"No, I do. I was just merely curious." he laughed, and Elena noticed that it seemed a bit off.

"Okay," Elena said, not believing him.

_She would find out soon what was bothering him._

"It's getting late. We should both try to get some sleep if we're going to be out all night." Damon suggested as he stood up.

"Yeah, I start my job tomorrow." she remembered, suddenly worried as she got up as well. If she got to bed soon, then she could still be fine for the long day ahead of her.

"Oh, right. Do you want a ride?" he offered, holding the door open for her.

Elena didn't want to trouble him, but if she said no, then he would keep insisting. And now that she thought about it, a ride did seem nice.

"Yeah, I'd like that." she smiled as she walked through the door. "Thanks."

"No problem." He said as he followed her into the room.

"So, I should go check on him and get some sleep." Elena said, motioning toward her room.

"Yeah," Damon said softly, and Elena frowned.

_What was wrong?_

Suddenly, Elena felt Damon's soft lips press against her forehead. When Elena looked up, Damon's head drew away from hers. He paused, searching her eyes, as if for permission, before glancing down at her lips.

Instantly, Damon leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. This took her by surprise for some reason. He'd kissed her before, so why was this time any different? She searched and searched for the answer as she felt Damon's lips mold slowly against hers while he cupped her face tenderly. Elena immediately felt her entire body lighting up with warmth and electricity. She found herself placing her hands lightly against his chest. After what seemed like minutes, Damon slowly broke apart, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Goodnight," he said, his voice velvet soft, and Elena blinked. Her head was racing, one big cloud of confusion and overwhelming.

_Why did she always seem to get confused and overwhelmed when Damon was around her, let alone kissing her?_

"Goodnight, Damon," she breathed. Suddenly, Damon stepped out of her grasp and headed down the hall and into his room. Her gaze never left him until she heard his door shut.

Elena slowly made her way to her room. Once she entered, she closed the door behind her softly, and leaned against it. Subconsciously, her hand moved up to her lips, which were swollen and soft.

_What the hell just happened?_

Looking up, Elena noticed that Ryan was still asleep. She hazily wandered over to her side of the bed, climbing in as if her body was on auto-pilot. Staring up at the ceiling, Elena's mind began spitting out question after question.

_What was that out there?_

_Why had that kiss surprised her?_

_Why was she confused about it?_

_Why couldn't she answer any of these damn questions?_

Deciding that she couldn't stay up till dawn trying to answer her questions, Elena rolled over and pulled Ryan toward her, stroking his cheek as she drifted off, wondering why the hell that kiss had taken her by surprise.

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	18. Seventeen

**CHAPTER 17:**

Elena's eyes opened as she felt something moving by her. Instantly, she shot up in bed, startled. When she looked down, Elena saw Ryan shivering.

"Oh, sweetie." Elena said as she pulled up the blanket over them, sending warmth to his infant body. "Are you cold?"

Ryan nodded and Elena pulled him close to her.

As he got comfortable, Elena glanced up at the alarm clock. 9:30. As much as she wanted to lay there forever with her son, she had to get up soon. It was her first day at the grill, and she couldn't be late. Elena waited until Ryan was asleep again before getting up. Slowly, she slid out of bed and planted her bare feet on the ground. Squeezing her eyes shut as the floor squeaked, Elena quickly and silently made her way to the door and slid through, closing it behind her.

"Morning."

Elena's eyes shot up to see Damon without a shirt on, a towel wrapped around his neck. His hair was soaked, droplets of water trickling down his perfectly toned chest. Elena was immediately reminded of the time that Damon had sprayed her with a hose the day that she went to show him her prom dress. He must've just taken a shower. "Hey." Elena smiled, suddenly struck with shyness as she felt her cheeks reddening. She wasn't sure whether it was because Damon wasn't wearing a shirt, or because of last night.

"What time do you want to leave?" he asked, and Elena frowned, confused. For some reason, she wasn't comprehending what he had said.

"To get to work?" he reminded her, and Elena nodded quickly.

_He's driving you to work, smart one. Wake up!_

"Oh, right. About 10:40, if that's fine." she told him, laughing at herself. It was just early. "Thank you."

"No problem. Go get ready." he told her, and Elena nodded and Damon turned away.

* * *

It was about 10:50 as Elena walked towards Smith's Bar & Grill, wearing a jean skirt and blue t-shirt. Her long, sleek chocolate hair danced in the wind as she whisked the door open, a bell chiming as she entered the bar.

Cold air flew in her face as she walked further into the bar, looking around. The place was nearly empty. As Elena considered this, she realized that it wasn't even eleven yet. Who would come to a bar & grill at ten o' clock in the morning? The lunch rush wasn't set to begin for about an hour.

"Elena!"

Elena looked up, seeing Elijah making his way toward her.  
"Good Morning," she smiled, wondering what address him as. "Sir", "Mr. Smith", and "Elijah" All seemed a bit ... _odd. _So she stuck with 'C'.

_None of the above._

"You're early," he said as he stood in front of her, smiling. "It pleases me greatly to see that determination in an employee. Well done, Elena. I'm impressed." he praised, and Elena blushed.

"Thank you," Elena glanced down, and noticed the black apron that Elijah held in his hand.

"Oh, this is for you to wear." Elijah gave it to her, and Elena took it and wrapped it around her waist. "You can start now, if you'd like. Vanessa over there will show you the ropes." Elijah turned around and pointed to a petite young girl with ginger hair, who looked up when she heard her name. Vanessa immediately smiled eagerly, waving Elena over.

"Okay. Thank you." she nodded and headed over to Vanessa, who was in the middle of filling drinks.

"Hi, I'm Vanessa. Nice to meet you." The ginger extended her hand, which Elena took.

"Elena. Nice to meet you, too." she said as she shook Vanessa's hand.

"So, you're new around here." Vanessa said as she leaned against the counter, and Elena nodded. When she looked up at Elena, a gleam in Vanessa's green eyes made Elena instantly warm up to her. Vanessa vaguely reminded her of Jenna, the attitude and the girl's hair. She was definitely younger than Jenna, Elena noted.

_Why did it matter?_

"Yeah, it's my first day." she told Vanessa.

"Oh, cool. So, shall we get started?" Vanessa asked as she handed Elena a notepad.

* * *

It was nearing five-fifteen as Elena wandered over to a table in the corner with a tray in her right hand, hoisted high in the air as she weaved through the sea of people. Tonight was a really busy night for some reason. It seemed that people were piling in, and not leaving. Elena nearly tripped twice already, and she was hoping that she wouldn't once again.

_Third time's a charm._

Elena approached two men, who were deeply involved in a conversation by the looks of it, and she suddenly felt intimidated by the look they gave her for interrupting them.

"Alright, the deluxe grill burger with a side of onion rings?" she asked, looking between the two of them. The one on her right, a blonde, tan man raised his hand mid-air.

"Here you go," she said as she handed him the plate. "Careful. It's a bit hot." she warned.

"Thank you, Miss." he said, and when Elena looked up, the gleam in his eyes was so foreign that it raised the hair on Elena's arms

_Would she really have to deal with this again?_

"A-and the ribs?" Elena held out the second plate to the other man, who had sandy-colored hair and gleaming green eyes.

"Thank you, sweetheart."

_Apparently so._

"Enjoy your meals, " she bid, hastily walking away from the table. She nearly ran into Elijah, who stood a good foot away from her.

"Very well done, Elena. And for your first day." he complimented, a warm gleam in his eye.

"Thank you." she smiled, trying to appear alright.

"So I will see you at eleven tomorrow. Goodnight, Elena." he told her as he waved, wandering back toward the kitchen.

Elena reached behind her and untied her apron, relieved. She was exhausted, and briefly debated whether or not to take a quick nap before the wake tonight. Pulling out her phone, she dialed Damon's number.

* * *

Elena spotted Damon's baby blue Camaro as it approached the lot. Once he was parked in a lot, Elena headed over towards his car.

"Hey," he smiled as Elena opened the passenger car door open. "How did it go?"

Elena slid into the passenger seat of Damon's car, sighing. Creepy men ogled her, Jenna's soul sister was Chatty Cathy, and she nearly fell more than once.

_How do you think it went, Elena?_

"It was alright." she avoided his gaze as she lied. "I'm a little tired." She added quickly, yawning intentionally to distract him.

_Had he caught her red-handed?_

"Oh. You might have some time to squeeze in a nap before we go." he suggested as he pulled out into the road.

_Close call, Elena!_

"I think i'll be fine. We won't be gone all night," she reminded him, as well as herself. Rebekah and the girls might want her to stay all night, but Elena wasn't sure just how long she could last. The whole Bree thing was still so recent and bruising everybody. Elena wasn't fully recovered from it yet.

"Yeah, I suppose." Damon agreed.

* * *

Elena walked out of the bathroom, the click of her shiny black heels echoing off of the tile floor. She had not gone dress fancy, as it was just a wake and not a funeral. Instead, she had decided on a silk violet blouse, the one that she had worn out to lunch with Damon on her birthday. Around her tiny waist, her black pencil skirt was hugging her legs, and Elena constantly felt like it was too short in the back. Surely she would spend the majority of the night pulling it down.

"So what time should I expect you two back?" Jeremy asked, narrowing his eyes at Elena, who was slinging her leather black purse over her shoulder.

Elena was so tired, but she would put on her big girl pants for the night. She would have to, in order to deal with the events, as well as Rebekah and the girls.

"I'm not entirely sure. It won't be too long, though, I promise." She told him as she walked over toward Damon, who stood by the front door, waiting.

"Okay. See you guys later," Jeremy waved as he wandered away.

"Ready?" Damon asked, holding his hand out, and Elena smiled as she took it.

"Ready."

* * *

Elena hopped out of Damon's car as she stared in awe at the elegant building in front of her. The Richmond Banquet Hall was _literally _a palace. It honestly looked like a Victorian style French estate. Elements of the White House were blended in, and the door looked as if it was made of pure gold. Suddenly, Elena was grateful with what she had chosen to wear.

"Ready to go inside?" Damon's voice disrupted her thoughts, and Elena turned to face him.

"Yeah," she nodded, and Damon held out his arm, which Elena took.

As Elena entered the hall, she felt the air abandon her lungs.

The ceiling of the hall was a massive canvas, looking like something that Michelangelo created. It was extremely breathtaking, and Elena honestly could've stared at it forever. The floor was marble-like, reflecting everything brilliantly. The walls were cream white, with beautiful hand-carvings etched into them for detail.

"Elena!"

Elena turned around, and Rebekah and Lexi were hastily making their way to her and Damon.

"Hi," Elena smiled, and Lexi and Rebekah took turns exchanging hugs with Elena.

"Oh, thank god you're here. Thank you_ so _much for coming." Rebekah smiled warmly as she parted from Elena, and Elena nodded politely. "No problem,"

"Hello, Damon." Lexi nodded politely, a look of confusion on her face, and Damon responded with a tight smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Lexi. Rebekah." he nodded in return, and Elena saw Lexi blink.

"Elena, can we talk in private for a moment?" Lexi asked gently, glancing at Damon. Elena followed her gaze, searching for a reaction from him.

"I'll be waiting." he told her, a smirk reflecting in his eyes.

"I'll be right back." she told him as Lexi and Rebekah dragged her away.

_What was it with everyone getting physical with her?_

"Why is Damon here with you?" Lexi hissed once they were out of earshot.

_Crap._

"Er," she stalled, and Lexi shook her head.

"Elena," she snapped.

"Because ... because I asked him to come with me." she breathed nervously.

"Why would you ask-?" Lexi's words stopped, and Elena saw her eyes widen.

_Here we go_.

"Wait," Lexi, breathed, gaping at Elena. "Are you two...Are you two _dating?"_ she wondered incredulously.

"Fine. Yes." Elena sighed. She couldn't lie.

"I _knew _it! I was right!" Lexi squealed, jumping up and down.

_How old was she, twelve?_

"What are you talking about?" Elena scoffed, shaking her head as she glanced at Rebekah, who was also staring at Lexi.

"I _told _you! I _told _you that he liked you!" she bragged, and Elena understood.

"Wait, Lexi, you're-"

"Oh, no! You are _not_ about to talk yourself out of this one!" Lexi chuckled, waving her finger in Elena's face.

Suddenly, a screech pierced the air, and Elena cupped her ears, as well as the other guests, as she looked around for the source. Elena's eyes made their way to the stage, and landed on a man who Elena recognized as Bree's father. Despite the fact that he looked as if he'd not had a second of sleep for decades, he was smiling sentimentally. Elena watched as Rose introduced him, the crowd applauding, as he stepped forward and swapped places with Rose.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining us in celebrating my daughter Bree's life." he smiled warmly, and Elena suddenly felt a warm hand lace through hers and squeeze it reassuringly. She looked down, and Damon's hand was linked with hers. Immediately, her eyes shot up to Damon's, which were shining a brilliant shade of blue, and a comforting feeling instantly washed over Elena.

"...Now, I would like to ask anyone that would like to say a word about Bree." Rose's gentle voice rang through the microphone, and Elena looked around. No one had made a move to raise their hand.

"Elena would you like to say something?" Rose asked in a gentle voice, and it was then that Elena had realized that her hand was partially raised in the air.

Elena nodded. "Yes,"

"Come on up." Rose nodded slowly as Elena made her way to the stage.

Elena glanced back at Damon as she weaved through the crowd. At the end of the sea of people, Elena spotted a set of steps, and climbed up them. Rose walked over to Elena and guided her over to the podium.

"Um, hi." Elena smiled shyly as she addressed the crowd. She had wanted to say a few words about Bree at her wake, but now that she was actually up on stage, glancing out at several people, Elena was suddenly washed over with stage fright. Rebekah and Lexi had somehow made their way to the front of the crowd, and they were standing in front of Elena. They both wore smiles of encouragement, and as much as she knew they were trying to help her feel comfortable, it wasn't entirely working. For some reason, Elena's eyes found Damon's in the crowd, and he smiled warmly at her. Instantly, Elena felt calmer.

"I met Bree at work, and she was the first one to help me and show me the ropes." Elena told the crowd through her now watery eyes. "Bree was an amazing person. She knew how to make you laugh when you thought you couldn't laugh. When you were sad, or angry, she knew how to make you smile even when you thought that you couldn't possibly smile. Bree had assisted me with some personal challenges that I had endured a couple years back," Elena immediately glanced up at Damon, who wore a look of suspicion. Of course, he knew what she was referring to. Elena suddenly began to get flustered, but continued to finish Bree's speech. "Bree was a beautiful and talented woman, and I am honored to have had the privilege to have known her."

By the time Elena was finished, her eyes were foggy with tears, and her voice was shaking. Slowly, a round of applause ascended as Elena stared out at the crowd. Elena thanked them and made her way back to Damon. As she stepped down from the stage, Rebekah and Lexi pulled her in for a hug, and Elena briefly noticed that, like her own, both their eyes were also swelled with tears. Despite her desperation to get back to Damon, Elena decided to wrap her arms around her friends.  
"Great job," Rebekah whispered in her ear, and Elena smiled.

"Elena."

Elena sniffled as she turned around to see Damon was standing behind them, looking concerned.

"Damon," Elena said through her tears, and she felt Rebekah and Lexi release her. Immediately, Elena walked up to Damon and threw her arms around his neck.

"It's okay," Damon soothed as he caressed her back.

Elena nodded as she pulled back, and suddenly, Elena found herself lost in Damon's eyes. she looked down at Damon's lips, and was reminded of their kiss last night. Suddenly, Rebekah's voice disrupted her mind, and she turned to face her.

"Elena, could you go and fetch some spare napkins? They're in the supply closet down the hall and to the left." Rebekah asked kindly, and Elena nodded.

"Great, thanks." Rebekah smiled and walked away.

"I'll be right back," Elena told Damon, who nodded in response.

Elena walked out of the room and made her way to the supply closet. It was a small pantry, and on the floor, Elena spotted the package of napkins. Bending down, she grabbed them and closed the pantry. As she made her way back to the room, she found herself admiring the artwork as she passed several paintings on the way back.

Once Elena stepped through the doors, she felt eyes on her as she closed the door behind her. Everyone was now seated at a table, or looking at the photos of Bree. Elena spotted Damon over at the photos, and just as she was about to make her way to him, a familiar voice stopped her.

"Elena,"

Elena whipped her head to the side, and her eyes widened with shock at the man standing before her.

"Elijah?" Elena gasped, staring at her boss in the face. _What the hell was he doing here?_

As Elena studied his face, Elijah seemed equally shocked as he moved closer to her.  
"What are you doing here?" She immediately felt like she was being disrespectful toward her boss by asking him that. More so because her tone was impolite.

"Bree was a close friend of mine," he told her. "She worked for my old friend Kol Mikaelson."

Elena froze.

_Elijah knew Kol?_

"You knew Kol?" Elena breathed, reeling at the new information that she had found out. Elijah and Kol were friends? How did they know each other?

"He and I grew up together." Elijah nodded.

"Oh," Elena nodded hazily, reeling from the bombshell that she had just caught. Elijah knew Kol? And they were close friends?

"Elena, may I ask you something?" Elijah wondered, and Elena nodded. Her head suddenly felt as if it weighed twenty tons.

"I am throwing a holiday party next week, and I was wondering if you might do me the honor of attending. It's a great deal of fun. Everyone from the bar will be there." he told her.

"Oh, yeah. I think I can." she nodded, trying not to seem preoccupied.

"Wonderful," Elijah grinned.

"Excuse me, Elijah. It was nice seeing you." Elena smiled apologetically as she slowly backed away. Rebekah was behind Elijah, waving Elena over.

"Oh, you as well, Elena." Elijah nodded, and walked away. Elena made her way to Rebekah, who was setting tables.

"Oh, thank god." she sighed in relief as Elena handed Rebekah the napkins.

"What took you so bloody long?" Rebekah asked as she opened the package and began to place napkins at each seat.

"I was just sided by my boss." Elena said as she followed Rebekah around the tables.

"Ah." Rebekah said, and Elena nodded.

"Look, Rebekah, Damon's waiting for me. I'll see you later?" Elena told Rebekah, who nodded.

"Yeah, yeah. See you later." she waved to Elena as she continued to count out napkins. Elena would've felt guilty for leaving Rebekah, but seeing how preoccupied Rebekah was, Elena realized that it was not a big deal.

As Elena walked over to Damon, she was debating whether to tell him or not. If she didn't, he'd find out eventually, and be even more upset that she hadn't mentioned it to her when she first found out about it. But as Elena thought of this, she also realized, what harm could the fact that Elijah knew Kol do? It's not like Elijah was involved with the attacks. Right? Elijah was innocent until proven guilty. And if Elena told Damon, then he would make her quit her job. And she needed her job.

"Hey," Damon smiled as Elena walked over toward him.

"Hi." she relied, forcing a smile, and she thanked the heavens that Damon seemed to believe her.

"Who was that?" Damon's voice turned several degrees cooler, and Elena frowned.

"My boss, Elijah Smith." Elena told Damon, attempting to sound nonchalant despite the fact that she was about ten seconds away from slipping up.

"I see," Damon murmured acidly.

_What now?_

"What?" Elena sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Nothing." Damon shrugged nonchalantly.

"Damon-"  
_"Elena."_

Elena sighed. _Damn him and his difficulties._

* * *

It was nearly an hour past their arrival as Elena sat at one of the dinner tables. Damon sat beside her.

"Ooh," Elena breathed, feeling her head pinch.

"Are you okay?" Damon asked, and Elena turned to see concern etched across his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just had a head pain." she said.

"Oh," Damon frowned. "Do you want to go?"

Elena nodded. She was beginning to get tired, and she couldn't hold down the fort much longer.

"Lexi," Damon called, and Lexi, who was walking by with a group of giggling girls, stopped and faced Damon.

"Yeah?" she asked, and the group of girls were whispering to each other, and Elena knew that they had spotted Damon. Every girl now sported rosy cheeks as they giggled amongst each other.

"We're gonna head out." he told her as he stood up from the table, and Lexi frowned, but nodded.

"Girls, could you give me a minute?" Lexi turned to the girls, who nodded and walked away.

"I'm sorry, Lexi." Elena said apologetically as she stood up beside Damon.

"Oh, no worries, Ellie," Lexi smiled warmly, "Thanks for coming, guys,"

"No problem. Tell Rebekah and Rose that I'll see them soon. We should all catch up some time." Elena suggested, and Lexi nodded.

"Yeah, definitely." she grinned, and Elena walked up and hugged her.

"I'll see you later," Elena said as she pulled away from Lexi.

"Yeah. Bye, guys," Lexi waved as Elena and Damon walked toward the entrance. Elena took a deep breath, hoping that they wouldn't be caught leaving by Rebekah. Of all the girls, Rebekah would be the one who would make Elena feel obligated to stay.

When they walked through the front doors and out into the cool breeze, Elena let out a sigh of relief.

_Success!_

Elena and Damon said nothing on the walk to the car, or the ride home. Elena glanced out the window at the passing scenery and Damon kept his eyes on the road. Part of Elena thought that something was bothering Damon.

_Was it really still about Elijah?_

But deciding that that was an unnecessary argument, she didn't pursue an answer.

* * *

It was about nine o' clock as Elena walked through the front door of Damon's apartment, and the place was absolutely silent. Jeremy must've been asleep with Ryan.

"Alright, out with it." Damon said as soon as the door closed.

"What are you talking about?" Elena asked, frowning.

"You've been quiet for the last hour and a half," Damon told her, his voice cold and insistent. "So something happened tonight. What?"

Elena sighed nervously. "Elijah. When I saw him tonight, he-he mentioned that he knew Kol."

"What?" Damon blinked, his eyebrows raising.

"I asked him what he was doing there, at Bree's wake, and he said that she and him were friends, and that she worked for Kol. I asked him how he knew Kol, and he said that they were old friends, that they hey grew up together." Elena nervously searched Damon's face, which was difficult to do because he was showing no expression.

"I don't think you should work for him anymore," Damon said, his tone warning.

"What?" Elena gasped. Was he serious? "Damon, I _just_ started working for him, and I'm not going to quit." she told him.

_What the hell?_

"Elena, it's too risky. If Elijah really_ does _know Kol, then who's to say that he's not involved in these threats toward you?" Damon asked, moving closer to Elena.

"Well, I don't think that that means anything." Elena shrugged.

"Are you _kidding_ me?" Damon asked, blinking several times as if he wasn't believing what he was seeing.

"No, I'm not. I think that you're overreacting a little bit, honestly." Elena admitted.

"Why are you so willing to trust some stranger who just so happens to know someone who is involved with threatening your life?" Damon nearly shouted, and Elena glanced over her shoulder to make sure that Jeremy wasn't awake from their argument. If Jeremy was awake, then Ryan was as well.

"Because there is no evidence that he could be!" Elena hissed, and Damon's eyes widened.

"He knows Kol!" he snapped. "What more evidence do you need?"

"I know that Elijah's not guilty of anything, Damon." Elena defended, placing her hands on her hips.

"Oh, really? What's he done that's so honorable? So trustworthy? Huh?" Damon wondered, and Elena was beginning to get pissed off.

_Beginning to? No, she already _was _pissed off._

"Elijah invited me to his holiday party." she told him confidently. He would protest her acceptance, but he wasn't the boss of her.

"What?" Damon scoffed. "And you said yes, didn't you?"

"Yeah, it's not that big of a deal." she shrugged.

"To you. Maybe it is to him." he snarled.

"What are you saying?" Elena tilted her head to the side, regarding Damon curiously.

"Elijah is _clearly _trying to seduce you, Elena."

_What the fuck?!_

"What the hell is going on with you?" Elena gasped, her eyes wide. "Damon, not _every_ guy that sees me immediately wants to hit on me like you seem to believe. Funny, you have more confidence in me than I do." she said, looking at her feet. It was true. Damon seemed to believe that _every_ single guy was staring at her, or flirting with her, when, in reality, that wasn't the case.

"He's going to hurt you, and I don't want to see you get hurt." His voice softened, and Elena was sincerely torn between flattery and annoyance.

Deciding on annoyance, Elena scoffed. "You think that I would let Elijah do that to me? I can handle myself, Damon."

"If you could handle yourself, then you wouldn't have been raped three years ago." he snapped.

Elena felt her heart shatter, along with all of the oxygen in her body.

"Is that what you think?" she whispered, hurt.

_ Did he just cross that line?_

_Yes, he did._

"No, Elena. I didn't mean to say that." Damon shook his head, and Elena was stunned by the fact that Damon's eyes were shining with regret.

_Well, too late._

"But you do think that, don't you?" Elena said, her voice cracking. Of course, Damon thought that. If she would've tried harder, she could've survived that night. But she was too weak. She knew it. Damon sure as hell knew it.

"No, Elena, I-" he begged.

"No, you know what?" Elena scoffed, shaking her head. "Forget it. I'm done. This -thing, "she gestured between the two of them. "U_s_, was a _mistake."_ she spat through her tears.

_Damn it._

Elena wiped her tears with the back of her hand as she sniffled. She hated having him see how much he had wounded her by overstepping the line. She just wanted to get out of there, get away from Damon. There was no forgiving. She walked away, toward the back room, on her way to wake Jeremy and Ryan, if they weren't already awake from her and Damon's argument.

"Where the hell are you going?" Damon demanded as he followed her, and Elena walked into the guest room and reached for her suitcase.

"I'm taking my son and my brother back to my house, away from here, and away from _you_." she said as she zipped up her suitcase with shaking arms. Slowly, she stood up with her suitcase in hand.

"Elena, you can't go back to your house," Damon said sternly as he shook his head.

"_Watch_ me." She challenged, staring him square in the eye. Screw him. Screw him and his - him. Just screw him.

"Damn it, Elena! Someone is trying to hurt you and your son!" he shouted, running a hand through his hair as Elena walked through the hall and toward the main entrance.

"You think I don't _know _that?" She scoffed, shaking her head. How stupid did he think she was? "I don't need a bodyguard," she snapped. In the front entrance, Jeremy stood, holding Ryan, ready by the door. Elena dragged her suitcase along the floor, setting it beside Jeremy. Instantly, she took her son from him and comforted him.

"Elena-" Damon begged, but Elena shook her head as Jeremy opened the front door.

"Goodbye, Damon." she said, and walked out of the door, trying to get the image of Damon's ashen face out of her mind.

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	19. Eighteen

**CHAPTER 18:**

"What the hell happened, Elena?"

Elena stood in the elevator, trapped with Jeremy, who was demanding an answer to questions to about things that she didn't want to remember.

"I don't want to talk about it, Jer," she told him, caressing Ryan's' head.

"I heard some of it. Damon was upset about you working for Elijah?" Jeremy wondered, and Elena sighed.

_Give it a rest, Jer!_

"Fine. Yes, He was upset. Elijah let it slip that he knew Kol, and now Damon's pissed that Elijah could be involved in this whole charade. I don't believe it." she told him.

"What?" Jeremy gasped as the elevator doors whisked open. Immediately, Elena stepped out onto the tile floor, desperate to stretch the distance between her and Jeremy. "Are you insane?"

Elena swallowed back her tears.

"Jeremy, stop!" Elena hissed, whipping around to face him. She was _so _tired and _so _angry that she just needed _silence._

"Elena-"

"I'm sorry, Jeremy. I just broke up with Damon because he was doing the _exact _same thing that you are right now. Please don't remind me of all of this." she begged as she turned around and walked through the door, beginning to hunt down a cab.

* * *

It was nearly eleven when they had arrived back at Elena's house. It looked the same it had when she had left it nearly a week and a half ago. Only now, it looked as if it had been abandoned. There was actually some dust on the surfaces of objects.

"Wow, it's been a long time," Jeremy sighed as he set down his and Elena's suitcase.

"Yeah," Elena nodded, and her eyelids suddenly weighed twelve tons.

"Hey, you should go get some sleep," Jeremy suggested, and Elena smiled.  
"Yeah, we're going to go up," she told him.

"Hey,"

Elena slowly turned back to face Jeremy.

"Are you alright?" he asked gently. Elena sighed shaking her head.

"Come here," Jeremy walked over to her, and immediately, Elena tossed her hands arounds Jeremy's neck. She wanted so badly to cry, but for some reason, she couldn't find it in her to.

"It's alright, Elena." Jeremy ran his hands through her hair, and Elena sniffled.

"I'll see you in the morning, Jer," Elena said softly, and she made her way up the stairs with Ryan.

As soon as Elena entered her room, she set Ryan on the bed, stripped out of her clothes, and then crawled into bed with him, letting her tears finally overcome her.

* * *

"He said _what?"_

Elena sat in her family room with Bonnie and Caroline, Lexi, Rebekah, and Rose. They had invited themselves over, determined to get Elena out of her mini-funk. As much as it had pissed her off, for the past few days, Elena's mind was on auto-pilot. She slept, she woke up, she went to work, she ate, she slept again. It repeated for the last few days like some bad soap opera on television.

Caroline, of course, detected something off about her, and Elena had just told them what had went down between her and Damon. Caroline nearly choked on her Sprite.

"Yeah," Elena looked down at her hands. She didn't want to remember. If she remembered, then she would feel.

"I _cannot _believe that!" Caroline scoffed, tossing her empty plastic cup on the across the room as she crossed her arms. Elena nearly laughed at the sight. It had reminded her of twelve-year-old Caroline. "That is _crossing _the line!"

"And he didn't apologize?" Bonnie wondered, skepticism in her voice.

"No, he did. Or he tried to. I didn't let him. I was too upset." she shrugged, the hole in her heart still aching.

"Well, forget about him." Rebekah suggested, standing up. "We're taking you out."

Elena frowned, looking up. "What do you mean?" she asked, suddenly nervous. Immediately, Caroline, Bonnie, and Lexi and Rose stood up as well.

"We're going clubbing. We're going to show you a _real_ girl's night out." Caroline smiled mischievously.

Elena smiled, glancing at each of her friends faces.

_They really were determined to help her cope. _

"Thank you, guys, really." she said sweetly, shaking her head. "But I can't just leave, Ryan's-"

"With Jeremy. He's fine, Elena." Lexi said, walking over to Elena, holding out her hand.

"Live a little, Elena." Rebekah said, smiling.

Elena sighed, taking Lexi's hand.

* * *

It was eight o' clock at night, and Elena was drowning down her third margarita in some bar that she couldn't remember the name of for the live of her. Her head was a fuzzed mess, and she was dizzier than she'd ever been. She didn't even know that people could be this dizzy.

"Hey, baby. Wanna go show me some moves with that ass of yours?"

Elena swallowed the last of her drink, slamming on the counter. "More." she yelled to the bartender, who eyed her suspiciously.  
"I'm paying you. Just fill the damn cup up," she snapped, turning around to face the stranger who was trying to hit on her.

_Typical._

This was the third guy to try to hit her up in one night. She knew that she had made the wrong apparel choice. Her dress was a sparkly black strapless, open back, and it was barely covering her behind.

"Hello," she smiled smugly at the stranger. "How may I help you?" she slurred, leaning forward toward him.

"Oh, baby, there are many ways in which you can help me." he said huskily, and Elena felt faint.

"Oh, really? Well, tell me," she balanced her chin on her fist.

"Well, for starters, I'd love to get you out of that sexy dress," he whispered in her ear, and Elena suddenly felt his hand caressing her behind. Elena's skin began to crawl, and she swatted his arm away.

"No, thanks," she scoffed. "I'm not interested, sorry." she shrugged, taking her drink and stumbling away toward Lexi.

"Well, I see you're getting hot and heavy over there, Ellie," Lexi hiccuped.

"Why, yes, I was. But he was a loser," Elena told Lexi, who scoffed.

"Well, when you come to a bar, what do you expect? The sincere, romantic, Harvard grads?" Lexi raised an arched eyebrow at Elena, who nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, true," she said.

"I'm bored. What else is there to do?" Lexi moaned, and Elena's mind sparked.

"I know." she said, smiling. "Get the girls."

Lexi's eyes immediately flashed with a wild streak.

* * *

About a half and hour, Elena, and the girls were down the street from the bar, in some run-down salon. Elena had heard of it from Jeremy. His friend Ben McKitrick ran the shop. Ben was a few years older than Jeremy. Elena couldn't remember how they had met.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Ellie?" Lexi asked as Elena sat down in the barber's chair. "Hell yeah! Stop trying to talk some sense into me." Elena scoffed as the hairdresser, who's attractiveness Elena took note of, wrapped a silk cloth around her neck.

Elena watched in the mirror as the haircutter chopped off her long locks of hair. Lexi and Rebekah sat on either side of her, drinking as they too were getting their hair done. Caroline, Bonnie, and Rose were across from them, getting their hair done as well.

After about ten minutes, Elena looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was about a quarter shorter than before, and it fell in waves to her breasts. Magenta highlights peeked through the chocolate strands, and she now had side bangs that covered her left corner of her face.

"Oh, my god!" Lexi shrieked next to her, and Elena looked over quickly. Lexi's hair was an exact replica of her own, accept Lexi's golden hair hid purple streaks.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked.

"Nothing! It's so cute!" Lexi squealed and Rose and Rebekah came up from behind, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, this was a good idea," Rebekah smiled smugly. Elena saw Rebekah and Rose's hair in the mirror. Rebekah's hid blue streaks, and Rose's hid a deep green. Caroline and Bonnie had both opted for highlights instead of streaks.

"What do you think?" Lexi asked Elena of her haircut. Elena stared at herself in the mirror, and slowly, a smile crossed her face.

"I love it," she giggled, hopping out of the chair.

"Thank you," she told the barber, who took Elena's hand and brought it to his lips. "You're most certainly welcome, ma'am," he smiled, a flirtatious gleam in his eye.

"Oh, you should give him your number, Elena!" Caroline shouted, and Elena felt herself turning as red as her highlights.

"Forgive her," Elena scoffed, blushing furiously. The barber chuckled.

"It's alright," he smiled, then his mouth opened. "Wait, did she say 'Elena'? As in Elena Gilbert?"

Elena nervously nodded. "Yes. Why?"

"I'm Ben. Your brother, Jeremy's friend. He and I go to school together." he told her.

"Oh, hi," Elena giggled, feeling even more embarrassed. Surely, she would hear an ear's worth from Jeremy about this. "Nice to meet you," she said, and Ben held out his hand again.

"How are you girls getting home?" he asked, frowning.

"Er, probably by cab. We're too drunk to drive," Elena giggled, and the barber smiled.

"I could drive you," he told her.

Surely, an offer for a ride home from a stranger is definitely a red flag, but as Ben was close with Jeremy, she didn't hesitate to accept.

"Sure," she nodded shyly.

"Come on," he smiled, grabbing his jacket and keys.

* * *

"Just right down this street," Elena pointed to a vacant street, and Ben turned.

Elena was the last to be dropped off. They had driven all around town, dropping off her friends. Elena had to remember to pay him back some how.

"Thank you, Ben," Elena said as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

"No, problem, Elena. Tell Jeremy I said hi," Ben smiled.

"Sure," Elena giggled.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "After all of that alcohol you drank."

"Oh, that," she laughed softly. "Yeah, I'm fine. My head hurts a bit, though," she said as she rubbed her head.

"Oh. Well, try and sleep it off." he suggested. "And be careful next time, Elena," he grinned, and Elena smiled as she hopped out of the car.

Faintly, she she heard Ben's door shut as well.

_What was he doing?_

Elena turned around to see Ben standing beside her with his hands in his pockets.

"Do you mind if I walk you to your door?" he asked, and Elena blinked.

"Er, sure," she nodded, confused. Ben walked along with her and up the stoop.

"Goodnight, Ben. Thank you," Elena said. As Elena shuffled in her purse, digging out her keys. and Ben grabbed her hand, forcing Elena to turn to face him.

"What are you doing?" she asked, frowning at their hands.

"Elena, Jeremy told me what happened to you," Ben admitted, and Elena swallowed.

_What on living earth?_

"Excuse me?" she asked, attempting to sound oblivious. _So _many things were running through her head right now. What had Jeremy told Ben? How _much _had Jeremy told him? Hell, it wasn't even his _business _to blab her life to his friends.

"About that night after your prom," he told her. Elena froze.

"What the-?"

"Don't be upset, please," Elena looked down to see Ben caressing her hand. "I only said something because I want you to know that if you need somebody to talk to, my sister had faced a similar situation. And I know that you don't really know me, but I'd like to change that," he smiled hopefully.

Elena swallowed as she nodded. He couldn't honestly think that she would delve into such a dark past with a stranger.

"I'll see you around, Ben," she told him quietly.

"I like the hair. It makes you look innocent." he said, and Elena looked back up at him.

"Thank you," she smiled, shocked.

_Was that supposed to be a compliment, or an insult?_

"Goodnight, Elena." he said, and walked down the stoop and disappeared in his silver car.

Elena slowly opened the door to her house and once she was inside, she closed it, leaning against the door.

"Thank god,"

Elena looked up, and Jeremy was halfway down the stairs, staring at her in disbelief.

"Jeremy," she said nervously. He didn't look happy.

"Where the hell where you?" he asked coldly, "And what the hell did you do to your hair?"

Elena briefly forgot about her hair.

"Oh, I was-"  
"Don't worry," Jeremy scoffed. "I already know everything. Ben texted me." Jeremy held up his phone, and Elena gasped. _Why was Jeremy so upset?  
_"What the hell were you doing out at a club, getting _drunk_ when you have a son to look after?" Jeremy shouted at her, and Elena felt her heart begin to ache.

"Jer, it's not-"  
"No, don't do that. It's _exactly _what it looks like." he snapped.  
"Just stop it!" Elena cried, tears swelling her eyes. "I can't have you turning into him!" she sobbed. She didn't need another person telling her these things. She'd already lost one, and she didn't need to lose another.

_Damn, how many more times could she cry?_

"Then don't do this again," Jeremy demanded, climbing back upstairs.

Elena knew he was right. What was she thinking, going out to a club and getting drunk with her friends?

Elena slid of her heels and made her way up to her room, where Ryan was sleeping. Sliding out of her dress, Elena looked at herself in the mirror. Why was she so stupid? Why did she go out with her friends and get drunk?

Because of _him_.

Elena scowled at her reflection and threw her dress at it, making a cracking noise as the mirror shattered.

_Great._

She didn't care right now. She'd fix it tomorrow. She was tired. She wanted nothing more than to cuddle up to her son and let sleep consume her.

Elena wandered into her room, slid in bed beside Ryan, and for the first time in a few days, didn't cry herself to sleep.

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	20. Nineteen

AN: 100 Reviews! Thank you so much to all of you who support this story! I promise that at least one, or two more chapters at the most, until Delena is back together! :D Stay tuned!

* * *

**CHAPTER 19:**

Elena's eyes slowly fluttered open as she heard a commotion go on.

_"...yeah, good to see you, too..." _

_"...It's been a long time, Man..."_

Elena slowly got out of bed quietly, and stood at the door. Who was it?

_"...Elena's sleeping. She and I got into a little argument last night..."_

Elena's eyebrows rose.

_Who was Jeremy talking to?_

Elena walked over to her closet and fetched a nice jean skirt and tank top. Grabbing a pair of blue converse, Elena slid them on and went downstairs. As she climbed downstairs, Elena saw Ben and Jeremy seated on the couch.

"Ben?" Elena asked, shocked to see him at her house.

"Oh, hey, Elena." Ben waved as Elena wandered into the living room.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, crossing her arms over her body.

"I thought I'd stop and as Jer if he wanted to go catch up." Ben said, and Elena nodded.

_Did she honestly think that he was there for her?_

_What the hell was up with her?_

"Yeah, thanks for the warning," Jeremy smiled and Ben scoffed. "I'm not even close to being ready."

"Oh, cool. Well have fun, you two." she smiled, then suddenly gasped.

"What's wrong?" Jeremy asked, frowning.

"What time is it?" She asked. She had to work today. If it was after ten-thirty, she would have to bolt to the bus.

"Uh, it's 10:35." Ben said as he looked at his phone.

"Oh, crap," Elena ran a hand through her hair as she panicked. "I have to get to work!"

Ben stood up. "I could take you," he offered, smiling warmly.

"Oh, that's so nice, but I don't want to trouble you-"

"Come on, Elena. Really, it's no big deal." Ben smiled. "Jer can get ready while I take you."

Elena nodded, seeing no other options on the table for her.

"Alright. I'll be down in a few minutes."

* * *

Elena hopped out of Ben's car as soon as he parked it.

"Thank you _so _much, Ben. I owe you _big _time," Elena smiled as she leaned in through the door.

"Yeah, we'll figure something out, Gilbert," Ben smiled, and Elena found herself blushing.

_What the hell?_

"I'll see you around, Elena," he waved.

"Bye, Ben. And thanks again." Elena said as he pulled out of the lot.

* * *

As Elena entered the bar, Vanessa was glaring at her in a suspicious way as she made her way to the counter.

"Hey," Elena greeted as she bent to grab her apron. Vanessa was still staring at her, and it was really beginning to creep Elena out.

_Why was she staring at her like that?_

"What?" Elena asked, frowning.

"Who was that?" Vanessa smirked, and Elena understood.

"Oh, him." she brushed off. "He was just a friend of my brother's."

"A _hot _friend of your brother's." Vanessa grinned.

"Yeah, yeah," she scoffed, rolling her eyes in attempt to hide her blush. "I gotta get to work."

* * *

At the end of her shift, Elena sighed with relief. It was Friday, and she had two days off. Elijah's party was tomorrow, and she was actually looking forward to it. Nothing about Elijah made her feel uncomfortable. Other than the big one, that he knew Kol. That was the only red flag.

Elena walked outside of the bar after waving Vanessa goodbye, and walked to the bus stop. As she sat on the bench, she looked at her watch. It was three o' clock, and the bus would be here any minute.

"Elena,"

Elena turned, and sure enough, Ben was driving by and had seen her sitting at the bus stop. Elena stood up and walked over to his car.

"Hey," she smiled.

"Do you want a ride?" he offered, gesturing to the empty seat next to him.

"Actually, I'd like that. Thank you," Elena nodded as she walked around and hopped in the passenger seat.

"Yeah, no problem." Ben said as he pulled away.

"Hey, are you free tonight?" he asked suddenly, and Elena looked at him.

"Um, maybe. Why?" she wondered.

"I was just wondering if you'd like to come to this bowling thing that me and my friends are having tomorrow. My sister, Anna, will be there. She's about your age," he said.

"Oh," Elena said. She felt put on the spot. He wanted her to talk to his sister. That would be a fun therapy session.

_No, thanks._

"Just bowling, Elena." Ben said, sensing her hesitation.

"Alright, I guess I can. Is Jer going?" she asked.

Ben shook his head. "I haven't asked him yet."

If Jeremy went, Elena would have to call someone to watch Ryan. She would like to go hang out with them, but finding someone to watch Ryan was tricky. Caroline would of course do it. Elena immediately felt confident in her answer.

"Okay, well, that sounds fun." she nodded.

* * *

It was about four-thirty and Elena was just towel drying her hair when her phone rang. Standing straight, Elena wrapped the towel around her head and reached for her phone without checking the caller ID.

"Hello?"

_"Elena," _Meredith's warm voice said, and Elena blinked.

"Meredith?"

_"Hi, Elena." _Meredith laughed.

"How are you? Are you out of the hospital yet?"

_"Actually, that's what I just called to tell you." _Meredith said. _"I've just been released, and I was wondering if now would be a good time to come pick up Ryan." _

Elena felt her heart sink as the thought of Ryan leaving her again sank in.

"Oh, sure." Elena nodded, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.

_"Great. I'll be over soon,"_ Meredith said.

"See you," Elena replied.

_"Bye, Elena." _

Elena brought the phone down from her ear, staring at nothing. She was suddenly overwhelmed with sadness. She had enjoyed the precious time that she was allowed with her son. Even if he didn't know.

So Elena went into her room and took Ryan downstairs as she waited for Meredith.

* * *

"Thanks again, Elena," Meredith smiled as she held Ryan.

"Yeah, anytime. He was a joy to have around." Elena giggled as she stared lovingly at her son.

"Can you say 'bye' to Elena, Ryan?" Meredith asked, petting Ryan's brunette locks.

"Buh-bye," he waved, and Elena felt her heart twist.

"Bye, sweetie." she mirrored his gesture as she opened the door and held it for Meredith.

"Bye, Meredith," Elena said as Meredith stepped out of the house.

"See you later, Elena."

As Elena closed the door, Jeremy came down the stairs.

"Did she leave?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded, trying to hold herself together. It wasn't like she would never see Ryan again. That thought immediately comforted her.

"Hey, are you coming with us to bowling tonight?" Jeremy asked.

"Oh, he asked you?" Elena wondered.

"He asked you?" Jeremy scoffed. "When did you see him?"

"He stopped me on the way home and offered me a ride." Elena shrugged.

"Oh," Jeremy said. "Get ready. They'll be here soon."

* * *

Elena sat with Jeremy in the front room. She had opted for a red flower dress, with a denim jacket. It was nearly six, and Ben's car honked from the front.

"They're here," Jeremy said, standing up.

_No shit, Sherlock._

"Let's go," Elena said.

* * *

"Welcome to Pinz." A tall, bald guy said from behind the rental counter. "How many games?"

"Three," Ben said, handing the man his credit card.

"What shoe sizes?"

"This place is awesome," Elena giggled as she hopped up on a barstool as she looked around the place. It was dimly lit, and there were flashing neon lights everywhere. It smelled exactly like a bowling alley, and Elena was suddenly feeling like a teenager again. She would beat Jeremy's ass.

"Hey,"

Elena turned, and Anna, Ben's little sister, came to sit beside Elena. Anna looked a lot like Ben, with the dark hair and dark eyes. Anna and Ben resembled each other as much as she and Jeremy resembled each other.

"Hi. You're Anna, right? Ben's sister?" Elena wondered, and the girl nodded.

"And you're Elena, Jeremy's sister?" When Elena nodded, Anna smiled. "I thought so. Ben's told me a lot about you."

_Oh?_

"Huh," Elena didn't know what else to say. What had Ben said about her?

"Okay, who's ready to bowl?" Ben walked over, holding a ball in his hands.

"I am," Anna scoffed as she raised her hand.

"Aww, come on, Anna. It's easy." Ben said, and Anna shook her head.  
"For you, Mr. I-Was-A-Varsity-Athlete-Through-High-School," Anna mocked, and Elena giggled.

"Do you want me to show you?" Jeremy offered, and Anna nodded as she smiled. Anna followed Jeremy to the floor, and Ben hopped up on the seat that Anna had just occupied.

"So, you're Jer's sister?" Elena turned to see a couple of guys looking at her.

"Yeah, Elena." she nodded.

"Cool," One of the guys said, and the other two started to laugh. Elena doubted that they were actually laughing at her, but she couldn't help but wonder.

"Guys," Ben said, and when Elena turned to him, he was shaking his head at them.

"Oh, sorry, Ben." One of the other guys snorted as they wandered over to the bar.

"Sorry about them," Ben scoffed. "My idiot friends."

"No, it's fine," Elena laughed softly.

"Oh, my god!"

Elena looked to see Anna jumping up and down on the floor and Jeremy laughing. Anna threw her arms around Jeremy, nearly causing him to fall over.

"Elena, it's your turn," Jeremy said, and Elena scowled.

"Do I have to go?" she whined, and Jeremy nodded.

"Yes, you do."  
"I can show you," Ben offered, and Elena found herself smiling.

"Hey, what about me?" Jeremy asked, scoffing.

"With your help, you'll break my foot, Jer." Elena giggled, and Ben lead her to the floor.

"Just grab whatever ball fits your fingers," Ben instructed, and Elena bent down, placing her fingers in the holes.

"Oh, your thumb, your index finger, and your ring finger," Ben chuckled as he took Elena's hand and moved her fingers correctly.

"Good, now come over here," he wandered over to the lane with Elena.

"Pull your arm backwards, hold the ball _real _tight,"

Elena did as she was told, and looked at Ben expectantly, and when you're comfortable, swing your hand like this-" Ben moved her arm with his, and Elena suddenly felt that he was too close -"and release."

Elena watched as the ball rolled down the lane, crashing into the first pin, knocking all ten of them down.

"Oh, my god!" Elena giggled, amazed.

"You did it!" Ben chuckled, and Elena smiled.

"Thank you," she threw her arms around Ben suddenly, and when he laced his arms around her, Elena began to feel awkward for hugging him.

"Who's next?" she asked, flustered.

* * *

"I had so much fun tonight," Elena giggled as she hopped in the car. Ben's friends and Jer squeezed in the far back, and Anna sat beside Elena.

"So, you in school?" Anna asked Elena.

"Oh, no. You?"

"Yeah. Art school." Anna said, and Elena's eyebrows raised.

"Oh, wow. Cool." she smiled.

* * *

As Elena saw her house come into view, the car slowed down. She and Jer were the last to be dropped off. Ben hopped out of the front, and opened Elena's door.

"Thank you," she smiled, and Jeremy followed out behind her.

"No problem," Ben said, and Jeremy walked up to the door.

"Hey, Elena, what time is that party tomorrow?" Jeremy asked.

"Uh, like seven. Why?" Elena asked.

"Just wondering. I have keys. I'll see you inside," Jeremy said,. "See you, Man,"

"Later, Jer," Ben waved, and Elena thought of something.

"Hey, Ben, do you want to come with me to this holiday party that my boss is throwing?" Elena asked suddenly. She would hate to show up alone.

"Oh, sure. Is it tomorrow? The one Jer was talking about?"

"Yeah."

"Cool. What time do you want me to pick you up?" he asked.

"Does six thirty work for you?" She asked, and Ben nodded.

"I'll see you, Elena," he said, and Elena nodded.

"Goodnight,"

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	21. Twenty

**CHAPTER 20:**

"I'm serious, Care. I have nothing," Elena sighed as she laid down on her bed. Caroline stood above her, scowling.

"Fine, let me see," she said, moving toward the closet. Elena's eyes closed as she heard Caroline slash hangers across the pole.

"You're right. You have _absolutely nothing._" Caroline scoffed.

"I wasn't lying."

"Well, we just have to go shopping," Caroline lit up with glee, and Elena felt her entire body die a little.

"Caroline, I don't need to buy a new dress,"

"Well, what do you want me to do, Elena? whip you up a ball gown?" she scoffed. "As much as I would _love _to do that, I can't. So we will just have to settle for me whipping up my Amex."

* * *

"Here, Bonnie, show her this one!"

Elena was in the changing room at Nordstrom's, and Caroline and Bonnie were outside, searching the racks for dresses for Elena to try on. She was on her third dress, and already, she was dead beat.

"Elena," Bonnie said, and Elena looked up to see a yellow dress. Reluctantly, she took the dress and slid it on. It was pretty, but it wasn't her. Caroline obviously picked it out. It was revealing at the chest, and hugged her body tightly.

_Would Caroline ever learn that she wasn't into these dresses?_

"Did you try the yellow one on?" Caroline's voice traveled over the door.

Instead of answering, Elena opened the door and stepped out.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Caroline clapped her hands together excitedly.

"Yeah, it is." Elena nodded.

"What now?" Caroline groaned.

"It's just not my style," elena shrugged, and Caroline sighed heavily.

"Why don't you go take that off, and we'll keep looking," Bonnie advised.

"What exactly _is _your 'style'?" Caroline mimicked.

"Not revealing, no low cut anything, and please, don't hand me anything that's too short." she begged, and Bonne smiled warmly in understanding, while Caroline scoffed.

"Fine."

About ten minutes later, Elena stepped out of the cubicle, wearing a strapless burgundy dress. It flowed down to just above her knees, and it had a cute white belt around it. Elena instantly knew that this was the one.

"Found it," she smiled.

* * *

It was about five forty, and Elena sat in front of her mirror, fixing her make up and hair for the holiday party. Her hair was wavy, and Elena wore a short and flowy pink dress. She was alone in her house, as Jeremy was out with Anna.

"So, you and Ben," he whistled.

Elena looked up to see Jeremy standing in the door frame, smirking.

"Go away," she shooed, and when he didn't leave, Elena took her toothpaste tube and jerked it at him. It would've hit him, but he was quicker than she thought.

"Hey, hey!" Jeremy held his hands in surrender. "Chill. I respect your privacy."

Elena scoffed as she finished applying her lip gloss. Ben would be here any minute, and Elena headed downstairs to wait on the couch.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Elena recognized Ben's silver car as it pulled in front of her house.

"I'll see you around, Jer," she hollered up the stairs.

"Have fun!" he replied.

Elena rolled her eyes as she stepped toward the door. As she went to open it, she remembered that she had forgotten her purse in the bathroom.

As Elena climbed back down the stairs, the doorbell rang, and Elena opened it.

Ben stood outside, wearing a tux, and when he saw Elena, his eyebrows raised.

"Wow." he breathed, shaking his head. "You look absolutely gorgeous,"

"Thank you," Elena smiled shyly, and Ben held out his hand.

* * *

The Party hall was similar to the one that held Bree's wake, but it was on the other side of town. It

Elena stepped out of Ben's car as he held it open for her.

"Thank you," she smiled.

"Shall we?" he said, offering his arm.

Elena walked into the room, and it reminded her of a beautiful Wedding ceremony. It was absolutely breathtaking, and Elena couldn't stop looking at the decorations.

"Would you like to dance?" Ben asked, and Elena nodded.

"Sure."

Ben took Elena's hand and led her to the dance floor, and Elena looked around. Many people were laughing, wine in hand. She didn't recognize anyone other than Vanessa, who was chatting with a group of people.

Elena laced her arms around Ben's neck, and he followed with his around Elena's waist.

"So, what's your story, Gilbert?" Ben asked, looking down at Elena as the slowly moved around the dance floor.

"Well, you know some of it, thanks to Jeremy," Elena scoffed. She made a mental note to ask Jeremy about what he had revealed to Ben.

"True, but I don't know all of it," he pointed out, and Elena swallowed.

"It's a long story. One I will tell you someday," she said, looking around, and Ben nodded.

"I'd like that," he said, and when Elena looked at Ben, his eyes were shining with genuine curiosity. Why would he be interested in knowing about her?

Elena got the answer as she watched Ben's face near hers. Elena had no time to react as his lips found hers, soft and gentle. She felt a tiny stirring in her stomach, and it was more overwhelming and confusing than she had wanted it to be. Ben's hands moved to cup her face, and Elena shook her head. She had to stop this. She wasn't feeling anything, and she didn't like Ben like that. She didn't want to lead him on. Elena slowly pulled away.

"I-I have to go," she said, avoiding Ben's eyes. She suddenly needed air. "I'll be back soon."

Before Ben could say anything, Elena weaved through the crowd, searching for the exit. This was becoming to much for her. She couldn't face Ben the rest of the night. She felt so guilty, but she couldn't lead him on. Clearly, he was somewhat interested in her, and Elena just couldn't do it.

"Elena?"

Elena stopped, turning around to see Vanessa standing in front if her.

"Vanessa," Elena smiled, and Vanessa came over and hugged Elena, taking her by surprise. They weren't close or anything.

"I didn't know that you were going to be here," Vanessa laughed, and Elena tried her best to follow.

"Neither did I," she said.

"Where are you going? Are you here with anyone?" Vanessa wondered, and Elena was getting slightly annoyed. She needed air. She needed to be outside, alone for a moment.

"Yeah, I'm here with Ben," Elena told Vanessa, who blinked.

"The guy who you saw drop me off at work the other day," Elena said, and Vanessa's eyes widened in remembrance.

"Oh, my god, you're here with _him?_" Vanessa gasped, and Elena nodded.

"Damn, you have good taste," Vanessa shook her head in disbelief.

"No, it's not like that," Elena explained. "I-"

"Elena," Elena turned around, and Elijah made his way over to them.

"Elijah," she smiled. "Thank you for inviting me." she said. "This party is beautiful,"

"Oh, you're most certainly welcome." he smiled. "And thank you."

"Enjoy," Elijah said as he turned to walk away, and as he did, Elena gasped.

At the other end of the room, Elena saw him.

_He was here._

_Damon was here._

"Oh, God." Elena gasped.

_What the hell was he doing here?_

"What is it?" Elijah asked, turning back to face her.

"What's wrong?" Vanessa wondered, frowning.

"My-my ex, he's here." Elena choked, beginning to panic. This was not meant to happen. She wasn't prepared to deal with this.

_Deal with _him.

"Do you want me to call security?" Elijah asked, suddenly serious.

"No, no. It's not like that, I just- didn't expect to see him here." she said, shaking her head.

"Who is it?" Elijah asked, looking around, and Elena dreaded the name that she thought she'd never say again.

"Damon Salvatore,"

* * *

The gasp that emerged from Vanessa was like a gunshot in Elena's mind.

"_Damon Salvatore _is your ex-boyfriend?" She said incredulously. Elena nodded.

"Damn. You _really _have good taste. He is _smoking _hot!"

Elena shot Vanessa a look, and Vanessa shrugged. "I'm sorry. I can't help it."

"Who's the girl he's with?" Vanessa asked, and for the first time, Elena noticed the dirty blond on his arm

"Oh, that's Andie Star." Elijah said, staring at Damon and the girl. "She works for me at the Maymont location."

Elena immediately felt like throwing up. Her ex was there, with _his_ ex, and Ben, her brother's friend, had practically threw himself at her. Elena didn't realize that she was staring at Damon until her turned around, and she made contact with those blue eyes that were permanently inked into her memory.

Damon looked at Elena as if he had never seen her before. His eyes roamed up her body, and Elena wrapped her arms around herself. Turning back toward Elijah and Vanessa, Elena cleared her throat even as she still felt his eyes on her.

"Would you excuse me?" Elena asked, planning to go find Ben and leave, but he came up beside her instead.

"Hey," he said, but immediately frowned once he saw Elena's expression. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not feeling too well," she told him, which was the truth. "Could you take me home?"

"Sure," Ben nodded, and Elena walked toward the entrance, Ben following her.

"Oh, you really must leave so soon?" Elijah asked sadly, and Elena nodded.

"Yes, unfortunately, I-"

"Hello, Elijah,"

Elena felt her stomach churn as she heard Andie's voice, and knew that Damon was beside her.

"Ah, Andie." Elijah smiled. "Good to see you."

"Elena?" Damon asked, and Elena knew what he was doing. Elena glanced up to see Elijah and Vanessa gaping at her.

Deciding that she could no longer hide, she stood up proudly.

"Hi." Elena said, her voice guarded as Ben looked at her with confusion.

"Who are you?" he asked Damon, who scoffed.

"Oh, right. Where are my manners?" He held out his hand to Ben, who took it. "I'm Damon Salvatore, Elena's ex-boyfriend."

_Oh, my god. _

"Oh," Ben said, and Elena couldn't mistake the hurt in his voice.

"I'm Vanessa Monroe," Elena looked up to see Vanessa extend her hand to Damon, who took it and kissed it.

"Pleasure," he smirked, and Vanessa turned as red as her dress.

"Yes, well, as _fun_ as it was to catch up, we really must be going," Elena said, and Ben nodded.

"Thank you again for the invitation, Elijah." she smiled, and Elijah nodded.

"Thank you for attending. I'll see you on Monday, Elena," he said, and Elena and Ben turned to leave.

* * *

Elena climbed out of Ben's car and into the pouring rainstorm.

"Thank you, Ben," Elena said.

"Do you want me to walk you up?" he offered, and Elena shook her head.

"It's fine. I don't want you to get wet. I'll see you around." she said, and Ben frowned. Elena knew that he understood where their relationship stood, and as he pulled away, and Elena watched him guiltily all the way until the taillights on his car vanished into the night.

Elena walked through the rainstorm, up toward her house. She didn't care that she was soaking wet.

Suddenly, she heard a car door slamming behind her.

"Damn it, Elena!" Damon hissed as he ran after her and grabbed her arm, but she shook out of his grasp and kept walking forward.

"Wait!"

"No," she shook her head. "Go away, Damon!"

_Did he really have the balls to come beg her to take him back?_

"Not until you forgive me," he shook his head as a clap of thunder cracked from overhead. Elena wanted to go inside, but Damon would follow her in, and she didn't want him in her house.

"Why in _hell_ should I forgive you?" she scoffed. Didn't he know how bad he'd hurt her? And now here he was, begging her forgiveness. She didn't have to accept.

_Simple as that._

"Because I care about you, Elena," he said, and Elena shook her head. "You have no _idea _how sorry I am for the other night."

_Bull shit._

"Yeah, right. Go home, Damon, before I call the police." she threatened as she turned back toward her house. "I'm not doing this,"

"Don't tell me that you don't feel anything between the two of us," he snapped, and Elena froze. "Because you and I _both_ know that that's not true."

_How dare he use that as an excuse!_

"Don't flatter yourself," she scoffed, not turning to look at him.

"Oh, so all of those kisses between us, those hugs, they _really _meant _nothing_ to you?" he asked, "You didn't feel _anything _between us? Why would you accept my offer, then? Of trying out a relationship? Did it all _really _mean nothing to you?"

Elena nodded immediately, and Damon shook his head.

"I don't believe you," Damon told her, and Elena rolled her eyes.

Elena scoffed as she whipped around to face him.

"I don't give a rat's ass if you don't!" She cried through the rain, which was beginning to pick up.

"Don't you dare expect me to just forgive you after what you said to me! Why do you always think that you can just sit around and control my life? Huh? Why do you always assume that I can't take care of myself? Just because I couldn't defend myself when I was raped three years ago?" Damon flinched as she spat out the words. _Why the hell was he suddenly flinching about it, when he was the one who overstepped the line by throwing it in her face? _

_"_Is it because you walked into the club that night and saw the disastrous train-wreck that was_ me?_ Because you hated to see how my life had turned out? Because you saw a 'fragile, little girl' who was the ghost of your old best friend? Because you wanted to _fix_ me and turn me back into the 'old' Elena?" she scoffed as tears were now stinging her eyes. "Well, guess what? She's _gone._ And she's _never_ coming back. So get used to it!"

Damon shook his head.

"I'm not trying to turn you back into _anyone,_ Elena!" he shouted as Elena turned on her heel and stomped away. "All I am trying to do is _help_ you!"

"Why on _earth _would you give a _damn_ about me?" she laughed bitterly, turning to face him again. "You proved the other night, as well as tonight, that you couldn't care less about me!"

"That's not true and you _know _it!" he snapped.

"How could I _possibly_ know _anything_ about your feelings for me?" she scoffed, tossing her hands in the air.

"Because I love you!"

A loud rumble of thunder pounded in the distance, and Elena's eyes widened.

"What?"

She shook her head._ No._ No, hedidn't love her. He _couldn't _love her. She hadn't spent the past three years trying to remain unattached to anything or anyone, only to get thrust back into the hurricane that was her emotions towards Damon. She wasn't worth it. She wasn't worth any kind of love.

_Love didn't exist. _

"No, you can't," Elena found herself backing away from him.

"Why not?" he asked, moving closer to her.

She knew that she would be out of options when she backed into something.

Sure enough, her back hit the side of her house. Damon came up to her, trapping her with his arms on either side of her head. Immediately, Elena put her hand to Damon's arm, forcing it to his side dismissively.

"I can't be fixed, Damon." she whispered, her eyes swollen with invisible tears due to the rain. "I'm not worth anything,"

"Don't you talk like that!" he snapped, cupping Elena's face, forcing her to look into his deep blue eyes. "Don't you get it? I don't want to _fix_ you, Elena!" he shouted through the roaring thunder. "I don't _care _about who you were! I only care about who you are _now!_"

Elena stepped out of his grasp, shaking her head frantically.

"Why is it so hard to believe that I'm in love with you?" he wondered, searching her wide eyes. "Because you think you don't deserve it? Elena, you of _all_ people deserve to be happy!"

"Just stop it, Damon!" She cried as she went to cup her ears, but Damon shook his head as he pinned her hands to her side, holding them there.

"Why?" Damon asked, his voice verging on anger.

"Because I can't hear this!" she cried. "I'm not worth it, Damon!"

"No, listen to me." he snapped, and Elena whimpered as Damon continued.

"There is _no_ reason why you don't deserve happiness. You deserve it more than anyone. Hell, you deserve it more than _me! _After I hurt you the other day, Elena, I couldn't forgive myself. I was so pissed off that I had said that, because I had ruined the_ best_ relationship that I've ever had in my_ entire_ life."

Elena closed her eyes, trying so hard to absorb what he was saying.

"Look at me, Elena." he pleaded desperately, and Elena's wide eyes immediately found Damon's through the thick sheets of rain. Those eyes that she would know forever were also wide, but with vulnerability.

"If you can look me in the eye and tell me that you don't feel the same way about me, then I'll leave right now." he told her, his voice cracking.

Elena felt her heart being shattered into a million pieces. She didn't know why, but it was burning a hole into her heart.

She was suddenly hit in the face with the reality.

It wasn't because of his threats that she was heartbroken over. It wasn't because he was supposedly in love with her that was hurting her either.

It was because he was right.

Ever since Damon had come back into her life, she was happier. She enjoyed life more. She enjoyed everything more when he was in her life. And as Elena realized this, she had also begun to realize why exactly Damon was so protective of her, why he was so easily jealous of any and every guy that came into contact with her. He had came back into her life just when she needed him.

He had made her feel right in the world.

And she couldn't let go of that.

No matter how much her head was telling her to.

"I can't," she whispered, and Damon's other arm fell to his side.

"Why not?" he asked, and Elena heard the loud vocals of Damon's vulnerability.

"Because ... Because you're right." she breathed.

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	22. Twenty-One

I RECOMMEND LISTENING TO **"YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL"** BY** LANA DEL REY** WHILE READING THIS CHAPTER. IT INSPIRED THE ENTIRE THING! ENJOY DErs!

* * *

**CHAPTER 21:**

Damon's lips crashed onto Elena's instantly, and she immediately responded. It was like they had just reawakened from a long hibernation. Elena's hands were all over Damon, and his were all over her. Elena's mouth was burning with need as Damon's perfect lips molded against hers. Elena gasped, and Damon's tongue plunged into her mouth. She instantly felt her entire head and heart throbbing louder than the crashes of the heavens above. Her blood was pumping loudly in her ears, turning to instant flames. Damon's hands moved from Elena's face to her waist as she threw her arms around his neck. They stayed through the rain, and when Elena heard another violent wave of thunder, she shrieked.  
"We should get inside," Damon said against her lips, and Elena nodded, not removing herself from him.

"Where are your keys?" he asked.

"Purse," she breathed, feeling waves of intoxication rolling over her as Damon's hands caressed her back.

With complete skill, Damon held onto Elena as he searched for her keys in her purse. Elena clung herself to him as he pulled them out, then jammed them into the lock. As Elena heard the click, Damon whisked the door open and slammed it shut. Elena was now on her feet, and she was pinned against the door. Damon's hands were feeling all of Elena, and they roamed near her waist again.

"Elena," Damon moaned, and Elena felt her mind fog even more with the sound of Damon's moans. It sent a rush of warm and fuzzy feelings to her lower stomach, feelings that she never had felt before. Instantly, Elena's legs gave out, and Damon reached under her soft legs, hoisting her up. Elena joined in as she wrapped her legs around his waist, and she felt his arousal press against her belly.

"Oh, god," she gasped. Elena instantly felt faint as Damon's head bowed to her neck, and he began sucking and nibbling her soft flesh. It was beyond anything she had ever felt before.

"Do you. Have any idea. How beautiful you are?" Damon breathed against her neck, and Elena's eyes fluttered as her heart swelled with joy. Suddenly, Elena felt air against her back as Damon carried her over to a nearby table. Instantly, Damon's long arms wiped everything off of it, a loud crashing noise erupting from the aftershock. Elena felt herself being set atop the surface, and she pulled his face up to hers, and his lips were on hers again. Elena immediately ran her hands all over him again. She suddenly slowed her hands down as her fingers slid over the buttons on Damon's top. Without stopping to think, she unbuttoned the top one quickly, then the next. Soon enough, Damon's white dress shirt was now open, exposing his perfectly sculptured chest.

"Elena. Stop." Damon said as he pulled her against him, and Elena shook her head.

_She wasn't stopping._

_Not anymore._

_She wasn't afraid._

_Not anymore.  
As long as Damon was with her, she wouldn't ever be afraid again._

"No," she whispered against his lips.

"Elena, you don't want this." he whispered, slowing his kisses down.

"I do," she shook her head, kissing him faster.

Damon froze against her, and he slowly pulled away, looking at her with wide eyes.

"What?" he breathed, and Elena nodded.

"I want this, Damon. I want you. Nobody's home. It's just us. Take me upstairs."

She didn't need a reply. Damon's arms instantly laced around her waist, pulling her flush against him, and Elena was once again feeling every inch of perfection that was Damon Salvatore, her best friend, her boyfriend, and her home.

Damon carried Elena up the stairs, and Elena gripped his broad shoulders as he did so. They burst into her room, and Damon set Elena down on the bed gently.

"I want to see you," he croaked, and Elena stood up slowly, making her way to stand in front of Damon. Without hesitation, she moved her hands to the hem of her dress, and slid it over her head, tossing it on the ground. Damon's eyes rolled over Elena's body, which was now bare save for a black braw and her panties. And the way he was looking at her made her absolutely, one-hundred percent that Damon was telling her the truth.

Immediately, Damon moved to stand in front of her, and Elena looked down. Damon's hand moved to below her chin, and lightly tilted it up so Elena was met with his eyes.

"You're so beautiful," He said, and Elena felt her skin warm.

"Damon pulled her against him, and Elena once again felt her blood pumping through every inch of her body as his lips crashed onto hers again. Damon's hands ran through her hair as she moved her hands to Damon's shoulders, brushing off his shirt, which fell to the ground beside her dress. Damon picked Elena up once again, and he carried her over to her bed. Elena felt her back meet the soft mattress as Damon continued to shower her with kisses. His hand slowly and delicately traveled along her leg, and Elena's legs squeezed in delight.

Elena moved her hands to his belt, and together, they worked to pull them off. Elena unbuckled his belt, and Damon hastily kicked his pants off, along with his boxers, and Elena heard them fall to the floor. Damon leaned further, and Elena felt his length rub against her thighs.

"Fuck," Damon growled, and Elena felt her head being emptied of all thoughts except for Damon.

"Damon," Elena hissed against his mouth, which was more aggressive and passionate than she ever remembered. She didn't know that he could kiss like this. Elena vaguely wondered where he had learned how to do such an expertise skill. Damon slowly reached behind her back and unclasped her bra, tossing it to the side of the bed. One of his hands moved up to her bare breasts, caressing them, and Elena arched her back upward, yelping.

"Oh, god!" she whimpered, and Damon moaned.

"How could I have kept my hands off of you for all of this time?" Damon wondered, and Elena closed her eyes contently.

"Damon," Elena growled. "I need you, now."

"Listen, Elena. If I hurt you-"

"You won't." she told him, and Damon slowly moved his hand downward, toward the waistline of her underwear.

"Are you sure?" he whispered, and Elena nodded rapidly.

"Yes," she breathed, and Damon shook his head.

"I want to savor this moment with you, Elena." He whispered.

"Oh, god!" she cried, as Damon's hand caressed her thighs, which were soaking wet.

"God, you're so wet," he whispered in wonder, and Elena wasn't sure how much longer she could survive his delays.

"Please, Damon," Elena whimpered, and Damon slowly pulled down her panties.

"I love you _so_ much," he breathed, and Elena blinked up at him, through tears of happiness.

Elena was about to respond, but when she felt him enter her, she cried out in pure pleasure.

"Oh, god!" she breathed, and suddenly, she began to hyperventilate. With all of her feelings for Damon confronting her fears from her attack, Elena was a hurricane of emotions, and she started hyperventilating.

The sound of the music from the bar, the smell of his breath, was all coming back. The shade of the night sky, the flickering of the lights, and the hardness of the brick wall behind her.

Elena whimpered, shaking her head.

"Shh, Elena," Damon caressed her face, looking down into her wide and fearful eyes.

"It's me. It's me, Elena. It's Damon," he said desperately, and Elena looked up into his wide and scared blue eyes.

"It's Damon. I love you, Elena. I love you _so _much," Damon cooed, caressing her face as he slowly moved inside of her.

"Damon," Elena choked, and he nodded.

"It's me." he whispered, and Elena blinked up at him through her tears.

"It's you," she breathed as Damon's thumb wiped away the tear from her cheek.

"I love you," he whispered, bending down to kiss Elena with everything that he had.

Elena returned his kiss with exploding passion, and she felt herself bury the past as she got lost in Damon. She felt her stomach warm with the feeling of his lips on hers, of him inside of her. It was a feeling that Elena had never experienced before. She never knew that she could be so happy, so joyed and so relieved all at one time.

"I love you, too," she whispered, and Damon blinked in surprise.

"Please, Damon. Move, faster," Elena begged, and Damon frowned.

"Elena-"

"Come on. I'm not made of glass. Please, I want this. I _need_ this, Damon. I need _you._" she breathed.

Damon leaned down, kissing her forehead as he picked up speed. Elena was fully able to enjoy and savor the feelings that were building up inside of her. She felt as if she was climbing the ladder to heaven, floating upward as she did so.

"Let it go, baby," Damon whispered in her ear, and in an instant, Elena felt her entire body shatter with relief.

"Fuck!" she cried, and Damon kissed her softly as he released himself into her.

"You have no idea how much I love you," Damon breathed cupping her face one last time as he kissed her.

"Holy..." Elena sighed as she rolled over onto the bed.

"That was..." Damon said, shaking his head.

"Unbelievable..." she finished, and when she looked at Damon, she saw his love for her shining brilliantly. Suddenly, Elena felt tears emerging.

"Shit." Damon shook his head as he pulled Elena close to him, causing her to burst into tears. "Don't cry, baby. Please, Don't cry." he begged, caressing her face.

"I don't mean to be," she laughed softly through her tears. "I've just had such an emotional week." she said. "And that," Elena gestured to the bed, "topped it all off."

"It's alright, Elena. I'm here, and you're fine." Damon kissed her forehead.

"Oh, god," Elena sat up, clamping her hand to her mouth. Elena's eyes widened, and she realized that Jeremy was not home yet. Or she had not heard him come home.

_What if he was home, and he had heard her and Damon?_

_Oh, god._

_Good god._

"Jeremy," she breathed. Damon nodded, kissing her forehead once more before standing up. Elena watched as he bent down to grab his boxers and pants, slipping them on quickly.

Damon quietly opened the door, and Elena waited anxiously for something, anything.

Suddenly, Elena hopped out of bed and retched her panties, along with Damon's shirt. She slid them on, and climbed back under the covers. Instantly, she was warmed by the smell of his shirt, which smelled of him.

About a minute later, the bedroom door opened, revealing Damon.

"He's not here," he said as he closed the door.

"Thank god," Elena sighed with relief. She could _never _ever look Jeremy in the eye after that, if he _had _been home, listening to that.

"Are you wearing my shirt?" Damon asked, chuckling as Elena revealed herself.

"You caught me," she said shyly, climbing out of bed to stand by him.

"I'm not upset. Actually, you look _far_ more attractive in it than I do," Damon smirked, and Elena felt herself redden.

"Thanks," she giggled.

"I love it when you giggle," he told her, and Elena smiled.

"Thank you," she giggled again.

"And I see you've decided to experiment with your hair," Damon said as he twisted a lock of brown hair in his fingers.

"Yeah," Elena looked at her feet, suddenly nervous. The elephant was in the room, waiting to let out a mighty roar. She just hoped that it would be later, and not now.

"We should get some sleep." Damon said, and Elena's eyebrows raised. "You're staying over?"

Damon scoffed. "Of course. What kind of boyfriend, and lover, would I be if I just left you?"

Elena felt her heart fill with warmth at his words, and Elena nodded.

"Jeremy's going to have quite a shock when he gets up." she told Damon, who shrugged.

"Come on," Damon took her hand in his, and Elena felt shy all of a sudden.

As Elena climbed into the bed, Damon did the same. Once they were settled, Damon scooted over closer to Elena, and she rolled over to face him. "When did you know?"

Damon frowned, not understanding.

"Know what?" he asked.

"That you loved me."

Damon swallowed, and Elena waited patiently.

"Do you really want to know?" he asked, and despite the warning that Elena didn't actually want to know, she nodded.

"Well, that I loved you, the night of my parent's charity function," Damon said and Elena blushed at the memories from the event. "But when I knew that I was_ in_ love with you?"

Elena nodded, curious.

"It was the night of your friend Bree's wake. After you left." he said suddenly, and Elena swallowed.

"I didn't know what to do with myself after. I was literally lost without you in my life, and I was desperately looking for anything that would make me remotely happy again. But nothing worked, and when I saw you tonight, I immediately felt like the gods were blessing me with a second chance to make things right with you."

Elena felt tears prick her eyes. Damon felt the same way when she left. Neither of them were into anything, and the moment that they had seen each other tonight, they found their reason for living again.

"And I am so happy that I did," Damon caressed Elena's cheek, and she sniffled.

"Me too," Elena grinned sleepily, and Damon pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"You're exhausted. Try and get some sleep," he pleaded gently, and Elena yawned.

"Sleep, baby," Damon whispered softly, and Elena's eyes closed.

* * *

******AN1:** I apologize about the length of this chapter. I hope that I made it up to you guys with what happened :)

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	23. Twenty-Two

**CHAPTER 22:**

"Elena,"

Elena's eyes slowly opened as she felt something caressing her face. When she looked up through sleepy eyes, Damon was smiling down at her.

"Morning," he said softly, smirking.

"Good Morning," Elena smiled sheepishly as she stretched, and when she accidentally hit Damon's face, she took her arm back.

"Whoops," she giggled, smiling up at him. "Sorry,"

"Ooh," Damon winced, feigning pain. "You have a strong hand, Gilbert," he moaned, and Elena playfully slapped his chest. As Elena went to take her hand away, Damon snatched it in his own.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Damon tusked, shaking his head as he smirked.

"Damon," Elena giggled. "Let go,"

"Not until you say you're sorry," he whispered huskily in her ear, and Elena felt slightly dizzy.

"Mmm-mmm." Elena whimpered as she shook her head.

Damon smirked, and Elena squealed as she felt Damon's soft lips brush over her neck.

"Then I guess you'll have to pay the price," he breathed, and Elena felt as if he was a powerful and toxic drug that was surely going to take her under.

Elena rolled over, on top of him, and her head swooped down to kiss him, but Damon flipped her back over onto her back, and he was now hovering above her. Damon's lips immediately found Elena's, and she giggled as she returned his kisses. Elena felt Damon's hands trace their way up her legs, and Elena shifted against his body, feeling his arousal at her belly.

"Damon," she moaned, and Damon instantly thrusted his hips forward, his arousal rubbing against Elena's center. Suddenly, a swarm of fluttering butterflies invaded Elena's stomach, and her legs began to turn to goo.

"Oh, god," she breathed, placing her hands on Damon's face as she felt his hand slowly unbutton his shift from her body. Elena gasped, and Damon's tongue slowly entered her mouth.

"I want you," he breathed against her mouth, and Elena nodded.

"Then have me," she giggled, and Damon bit her lip, a low moan escaping from her mouth as a result. No more words were exchanged as Elena felt Damon's hand slowly move down to her panties, pushing them down her legs, and Elena felt her heart nearly jumping out of her chest.

"I love you. So much." he whispered in her ear, and Elena felt him slowly enter her center, filling her up. Elena gasped, feeling her entire body stand on high volume as her inner muscles adjusted to the size of his length. Elena felt her entire body bowing down to the power that he had over her, and she thought that they were perfectly made for each other.

"Damon, faster," Elena hissed, gripping onto Damon's back, impatiently waiting for him to oblige.

"Not yet," he shook his head, and Elena whimpered.

"I want to take it slow this time," he told her as she felt him slowly moving around inside of her.

"So beautiful," he whispered, and Elena nearly exploded with joy. Damon's head slowly leaned in to kiss her, and Elena cupped his face in her hands.

"Damon," she hissed. "Now, please."

Damon didn't respond, but slowly, Elena felt him pick up speed, and Elena felt her back sliding up and down the mattress as he entered her again and again. Elena began to see stars as she heard Damon's growls. Her entire being felt as if she was climbing once again, and she could feel her release ascending.

"Let it go, baby," Damon whispered in her ear.

"Oh, god!" Elena cried, feeling herself explode once again, and she felt her body, mind, and soul slowly floating back down to earth. Damon immediately followed, and Elena felt him release himself inside of her. Leaning down one last time, Damon cupped Elena's face and brought his lips to hers. Elena felt her entire body shiver with longing as Damon's lips molded against hers, and when he pulled away, Elena inwardly whimpered at the loss of contact.

"Oh, my god," Elena panted, and Damon slowly climbed off of her.

"Are you alright?" he asked gently, and Elena nodded.

"Never better," she grinned, and just as Elena went to lay beside him, the front door slammed.

Elena shot up in bed, and Damon hastily got to his feet, and Elena handed him his t-shirt. Elena ran to her closet and slid on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. Elena told Damon to stay up here, and he shook his head.

"Elena, I'm coming with you," said quietly, and Elena rolled her eyes.

"No, you're not," she hissed, "It's probably Jeremy. I don't want him to ask questions that we're not prepared to answer,"

Elena didn't wait for Damon to respond as she slid through her door. Without thinking, Elena ran down stairs, and when she saw Jeremy's face, she sighed with relief.

"Jer, thank god," she smiled, and when she moved further down the stairs, Elena saw Anna and Ben near the door.

"Anna? Ben? What's going on?" she asked Jeremy, who was standing beside Anna, and at the door, with his hand on the knob, was Ben.

"Hi, Elena," Ben waved awkwardly, and Elena smiled back, equally awkward. After last night at the party, she didn't exactly know how to act around him anymore. "I just came to drop off Jer," he said.

"Where the hell were you last night?" Elena snapped, narrowing her eyes at Jeremy, who swallowed.

"I picked them up outside of a bar earlier this morning," Ben sighed, and Elena looked up at him. His look was purely calm.

"Jer," Elena sighed, shaking her head with disappointment, "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I don't know," he said. "But right now, I'd like to get some sleep."

"Yeah, we should go," Ben said to Anna, who nodded, and Elena saw him looking at her again.

"Thanks for the ride home, Ben," Jeremy said, and Ben nodded. Elena looked over at Ben, and he was smiling.

"I'll see you guys later," Elena said as she turned around to go upstairs.

"Elena,"

Elena froze, Ben's voice calling her.

"Yeah?" she asked, turning back around to face him.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked, and Elena desperately wanted to decline. But she owed him an explanation.

"Yeah, sure," she nodded, and walked back down. Ben stepped outside, gesturing for Elena to follow him, and when they were outside, Elena crossed her arms over her chest.

"I just wanted to apologize about last night. What happened at the party,"

Elena blinked, remembering perfectly.

"It's alright," she said, looking back down at the floor.

_Was it really?_

"We can still be friends, if you'd like," she offered. In the back of her head, she knew that a friendship with him was exactly what he didn't need, given the way he felt about her.

"I'd like that," Ben grinned, and Elena tried to show some relief, but she just felt more guilt packing on her shoulders.

"Cool," Elena said, and Anna and Jeremy stepped outside.

"Are we ready?" Anna asked, and Ben nodded.

"I'll see you two around," Ben waved as he and Anna walked over to his car and disappeared. Elena stepped back inside her house, and Jeremy followed.

"Why is Damon's car parked out front?" he asked as he shut the door.

_Damn. She completely forgot about his car! _

Elena turned around, and Jeremy was regarding her suspiciously.

"He stopped by last night," Elena admitted.

"Why?"

"I wasn't feeling well," she lied.

"So Damon came to the rescue," Jeremy said, and Elena looked down at her hands.

"Are you two back together or something?" he asked, and Elena bit her lip.

"I'm not sure," she said, even though she well did, if last night and this morning were any indications.

"Come on, Elena. Either you are or you aren't." Jeremy scoffed, and Elena sighed.

"Fine. Yes, we are," she said angrily.

"Jeez, why are you so cranky?" Jeremy asked, frowning.

"Because my little brother just came home when I was worried where he was all night, and now he's quizzing me on my relationship, which is _really_ none of your business," Elena said, and Jeremy chuckled.

"Elena?"

Elena turned around, seeing Damon coming downstairs.

"I was coming back up," she told him, upset that he had come downstairs. But, seeing as Jeremy knew, what was there to lose?

"Wait a minute," Jeremy said, and Elena looked back at him. Instantly, his eyes widened as he gasped.

"Did you-?"

"Damn it, Jer. This is _none _of your business," Elena snapped, and Jeremy's nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Fine, fine. I don't even want to know. I'm going back to bed," Jeremy said, walking past Elena and heading upstairs.

"Who left?" Damon asked, pointing to the front door.

"Oh, Just some of Jer's friends," she said.

"Ah," Damon said.

"Yeah," Elena sighed, looking around. _What time was it? _Surely it was not past 10. They had woken up pretty early.

"Do you want to go grab some breakfast?" he asked, and Elena's stomach growled.

"I'll take that as a yes," Damon chuckled.

"Sure," Elena nodded.

* * *

It was quarter to ten as Elena sat across from Damon at Perkins.

"It's been a long time since I've been in one of these," Elena chuckled as she looked around.

"Same," Damon nodded. "Probably three years. We used to go every Sunday, remember?" he reminded her, and Elena nodded as she smiled.

"Yeah, I do." she said.

"I miss that." he said, and Elena bit her lip.

"Me too," she told him.

"So, where was Jeremy?" Damon asked, and Elena sighed.

"Ben picked him and Anna outside of some bar late last night,"

"Ben?" Damon frowned, and Elena swallowed.

She didn't mean to mention him. Damon would surely give Ben a chance. Especially once he found out that he was the one who was with her at the party last night.

"Ben. He was the guy that I was with at Elijah's party last night." She told him.

"Ah, Ben. He seemed pretty taken by you last night," Damon scowled, and Elena blinked.

"What?" she asked.

"When he kissed you." Damon said, his eyes burning into Elena's.

"Oh, that," Elena looked down at her hands. _What was she supposed to say?_ It was never going to go anywhere between her and Ben. Didn't Damon know that, especially after what had happened between the two of them last night?

"Damon, it's not like that. Ben-"

"Is clearly interested in you," he snapped.

"But I'm not interested in him." Elena scoffed as she shook her head. "Besides, he's Jeremy's friend. I wouldn't go there. Do you honestly think that I would be interested in anyone else but you, especially after last night?" Elena felt her cheeks flush as she mentioned their night together.

Damon smirked, and Elena let out a sigh of relief.

"Do you have idea how amazing last night was?" he asked, and Elena looked up to see Damon's eyes intensely regarding her.

"Actually, I do because it was pretty amazing to me, too," she said, blushing.

"Noted," Damon smirked, and Elena took a sip of her milk.

"So, where's Ryan?" Damon asked, and Elena took a deep breath.

"Meredith was released from the hospital yesterday. She came and took him." she said softly. Elena didn't want to be reminded. But Damon surely didn't mean to cause anything by mentioning it.

"Oh," Damon said, and Elena looked up at him.

"Here's the blueberry pancakes, miss," a brunette waiter said as he bent down and handed Elena her plate.

"Thank you," she said, as she set it on the table in front of her.

"And here's the waffles, sir." Damon gave the waiter a tight smile that didn't reach his eyes as he took the plate from him.

"Thanks," he said.

"Anything else I could get you guys?" The waiter wondered as he looked at Damon and Elena.

"No, we're good, thanks," Damon said, not looking at the waiter. Immediately, the waiter walked away, and Elena could've sworn that she heard him mutter something as he did.

"So, are you going to quit your job, now that you don't need any money?" Damon wondered and Elena looked up.

"Why would I quit? I still need money, Damon. I have to pay my bills." she told him.

"Well, I figured since we were back together that you'd want to come back to my place with Jer,"

"Oh." Elena said. _Were they back together? It would be hard to not be, after last night._

"I don't see why, I mean, we haven't heard anything else from anyone," Elena said, and Damon's jaw tensed.

"So you're going to just pretend like it never happened? Like your life isn't in danger anymore?" he hissed. "Just because you haven't heard of any fires or murders doesn't mean that they're just giving up, Elena. They might be waiting to strike when you're at your most vulnerable."

Elena considered it. He was right. But nothing _big_ had happened in recent days.

"When was the deadline for you to tell this person where Ryan was?" Damon asked, and Elena thought.

"In a couple of days." she said quietly.

"So that's why we haven't heard anything," Damon concluded. "It hasn't ended yet, and when it does, Elena." Damon frowned. "Please don't underestimate them and just move back in with me."

"Damon, I-"

"Please, Elena. I want to know that you and Jeremy are safe, and the only way to make sure of that is for you two to be back at my place. You don't have any idea how worried I was for the past few days about you." he told her.

"You were?" she breathed, shocked. Even after she had ended things between them, Damon still cared?

"Of course I was. I love you, Elena." he said, and Elena looked up into his warm crystal eyes. "And it's because I love you that I constantly worry about your safety. I don't know what I would do if something were to happen to you."

Elena felt tears clouding her eyes as she smiled. He was so sweet sometimes, and it just melted her heart how much he seemed to care for her. Even if it annoyed her at times, he still cared about her and he still wanted her to be safe.

_Because he loved her._

_And that was enough to convince her._

"Okay," she told him.

"What?" Damon breathed in disbelief.

"We'll move back in with you," she told him.

* * *

It was nearing six o' clock as Elena and Jeremy set their bags back down in Damon's front hall. The place looked exactly as Elena had remembered it.

Jeremy had dismissed himself to his room, and Elena looked around, trying to find any difference. _Why? It would only remind her of her stupid mistake._

_But it wasn't really stupid_, Elena thought. Damon had realized that he was in love with her because of it. And she probably wouldn't have overcome her fears of intimacy as soon as she had if she never left.

"I'll get dinner started," he said, and Elena followed him out onto the balcony as he turned on the grill.

"So, you're grilling for us," Elena smiled as she hopped up onto the stone bench. Damon chuckled.

"It would appear so," he said, and Elena leaned down and saw his lips curve into a smile.

"Wonderful," she giggled. "What are you grilling, Salvatore?"

"Oh, just you wait. I'll be right back." he said as he wandered back into the house.

When Damon returned about a few minutes later, Elena saw him carrying a package of what looked like steaks and set them on the table.

"So you're grilling steaks," she said.

"Uh-huh," Damon said as he walked over to Elena and pulled out a box from behind him.

"What's this?" Elena asked as she hopped off of the bench and took the box from him. It was a gorgeous black velvet box, with a white ribbon laced around it. It looked expensive.

"A _very_ late birthday present." Damon said, and despite his smile, Elena didn't mistake the hint of nervousness in his voice. "I had bought it for you on your birthday, but I couldn't find it when I went to bring it to the bar that night. I found it when I was looking for something the other day, and I laid it out in case."

Elena carefully unwrapped the bow and opened the lid. And when she saw what was inside of the box, she gasped.

A beautiful silver pendant lay on a delicate piece of foam. And as Elena pulled it out of the box, she noticed that it was the shape of two open hearts, and on the edges of the first heart, there were tiny angel-like wings that were filled with diamonds.

"Oh, my god. It's beautiful," Elena breathed as her eyes began to water. "But, Damon, this is too much for a birthday present.," she shook her head in awe. It was absolutely absurd. Surely the diamonds were real, and Elena just couldn't fathom why the hell Damon had spent so much money on a present for her. Then, they had just started reconnecting, and he had bought her a diamond necklace?

"No, it's not. Consider it an apology if you must," he said softly, and Elena looked up into his eyes. They were shining with regret and hope.

"Thank you," she said softly, and Damon smiled warmly.

"Would you?" she asked, holding up the necklace.

"Of course," he said, and Elena turned around as she gathered her hair and swept it all to one side. Damon reached in front of her with the chain and Elena looked down at her chest at the pendant. It was absolutely beautiful. When he was finished, Elena turned around.

"How does it look?" she asked.

"Perfect," Damon said, and Elena glanced up into his warm eyes. "Like you."

_That was it_.

Elena threw herself at Damon, who buried his hands into her hair as her lips crashed onto his. Elena felt Damon's hands move to her waist and pull her against him, and she moaned into his mouth.

"Elena," he breathed, and Elena felt her entire being shiver with glee. She loved when he said her name like that. It was almost like a plea or a prayer.

"If you'd like to have dinner before it gets dark, then we should stop before things get too heavy," he said against her lips, and Elena pulled away. Damon leaned his forehead against hers.

"Why do you always seem to surprise me?" Elena wondered.

"Because it's easy to surprise someone that you love," he whispered. "I should get the steaks going," Damon said as he kissed her forehead, and Elena blinked as he stepped away from her and placed the steaks onto the grill.

* * *

"Damn, you cook a mean steak." Jeremy said as he took a bite of steak. The sky was nearly a dark blue, and Elena, Damon and Jeremy sat inside at the table eating. It had began to thunderstorm, so they couldn't eat outside as they had planned.

"Thank you," Damon smiled.

"Oh, that's a nice necklace, Elena," Jeremy said, motioning to her pendant, and Elena nodded.

"Thank you, Damon gave it to me," she smiled, and Jeremy turned to face Damon.

"Well, that's fancy." Jeremy scoffed.

"It was a birthday gift," Damon said as he took a drink of water.

"Her birthday was a week and a half ago," Jeremy said.

"Well, it was a belated present. He couldn't find it when he went to look for it that night." Elena told Jeremy, hoping that he would leave it alone. He was being rude, and Elena didn't like it. Especially since Damon was offering them a place to stay.

"Ah," Jeremy said, taking another bite of steak.

"Elena, Anna wanted me to ask you if you'd be willing to help her plant tomorrow after you get off of work." Jeremy wondered.

"Oh, I guess I could." she said. Anna seemed like a nice girl. They were the same age, so it was easy to get along. Plus, she had a bit of free time on her hands.

"Who's Anna?" Damon asked, frowning.

"Ben's sister." Jeremy said, looking at Damon, who's jaw tensed.

"Ah," he said, and Elena looked down at her hands. She could feel his eyes on her.

"Great, I'll tell her that you'll help." Jeremy said. "Is Damon going to drop you off, or do you want Ben to pick you up?"

"I'll drop her off," Damon said before Elena could reply. Of course, Damon was jealous.

_He has no reason to be._

"Alright," Jeremy said, getting up with his plate.

* * *

Elena's eyes fluttered open, and she looked around, blinking. She recognized the guest room that she had occupied while here at Damon's.

"What? W-what happened?" she asked sleepily.

"You fell asleep on the couch while we were watching TV," he told her as he set her down in her bed.

"Good night," he said, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

A loud jolt of thunder pierced the sky, and Elena shrieked, now wide awake.

"What was that?" she asked, her chest rapidly beating.

"It was just the thunder," Damon told her. "It's alright. You're safe."

"Oh," she mumbled, frowning.

"Goodnight," Damon said, and when he moved to leave, Elena grabbed his arm.

"Stay," she mumbled, and Damon turned around.

"Here," he said, and Elena felt herself being lifted in the air.

"Where are we?" Elena asked as she looked around through darkness, not recognizing the room they were in.

"My room," Damon said.

"Oh," she nodded, and watched as Damon slid in beside her.

"What are you-?" she asked, but Damon shook his head as he caressed her face.

"Sleep," he said softly, and Elena closed her eyes.

"Don't leave me," she mumbled as she felt sleep overcome her, not hearing Damon's response.

* * *

**PS: **If you want to see Elena's necklace from Damon, it's the cover of this story! :)

**A****N:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	24. Twenty-Three

**AN1: **Hello guys! I am **_SO SO SO SO_**** SORRY **about the extremely late update! I've been so busy lately with other projects and personal things. But I'm back now :) Hope this chapter's alright, and it's kind of slow at first, but I PROMISE that it was worth the wait. I also was trying to get it perfect, and I hope that I've accomplished. Enjoy! next Update's in a few days, I PROMISE!

Thank you all for the amount of support each and every one of you has shown this story! I love this story with everything and I love you al for supporting it by reviewing/favoriting/following!

**AN2: **Please do stop by and check out my newest story, "Once Bitten, Forever Marked, if you haven't already. It's DE, and It's also very dramatic, or so I've been told :) I would greatly appreciate it!

Now, onto the story, as you all have deserved this! THANK YOU!

* * *

**CHAPTER 23:**

The sun pierced Elena's eyes as she stretched in Damon's bed. It was a beautiful day, and a beautiful man was beside her, smiling.

"I could get used to this," Elena grinned sheepishly as she looked up into those crystal blue eyes that she loved.

"I can see that," Damon said dryly as he grabbed Elena's hand and brought it to his lips.

"Ah! Damon, that tickles!" Elena giggled, and Damon's other hand slowly traced it's way up her leg, sending off fireworks through her entire blood.

"Damon-"

"Elena," Jeremy called, and Elena sat up, Damon's kissing session forgotten.

"Yeah?"

"I'm going out with some friends."

"Alright." Elena replied as Damon's hands slid up her leg once again. "Call me when you-Damon, stop!" Elena laughed. "Call me when you get there," she hollered.

"Yep," Jeremy replied, and suddenly she head the front door shut.

"I should get up and get ready for work," Elena sighed as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed.  
"Elena," Damon moaned. "Please,"

"As much as I want to, I'm not going to lay with you all morning. I have a job." Elena said as she walked out of Damon's room and into the guest room where her luggage was. Grabbing a yellow top and jeans, Elena slid them on and wandered back into Damon's room.

"That's not why I'm upset, and you know it," Damon snapped and Elena rolled her eyes. Would he ever give it a rest?

"Damon-"

"Elena," he said as he slid out of bed and walked over to stand in front of her. Elena crossed her arms over her chest as she glared at Damon. She forced herself not to look at his eyes or his chest. They were both too distracting.

"Why won't you let me take care of you?" Damon asked, and Elena heard the vulnerability in his voice.

"It's not that," Elena sighed. "I just need some independence. I've lived for three years here, taking care of myself. Call it a habit, but it's hard to just drop everything and let you shower me with things. I'm not that kind of girl and I'd feel like it if I did just let you take care of me like that," Elena explained, her breath escaping with every word. Damon's face fell, and Elena shook her head.

"Look, I'll think about it." she decided. "I told you that I would. And if it's this big of a deal to you, please trust me when I say this."

Damon surveyed her face for a moment, and Elena held her breath, waiting for a response. Damon nodded, and once she was confident that he understood her, she went to go get ready for work.

Elena entered Smith's at exactly eleven on the dot. She had hoped that Elijah wouldn't spot her, so she swiftly moved through the crowd of customers and made her way to the counter. Vanessa was counting tips and stocking the register.

"Hey," Elena said.

"Oh, god," Vanessa squeaked, her hand flying to her chest. "Don't do that to me, Elena," she laughed, relief looming in her voice.

"Sorry," Elena smiled apologetically. She hadn't meant to scare Vanessa.

"It's fine." Vanessa waved her hand in dismissal. "Just please don't do it again."

Elena nodded, and she took the apron as she got to work.

* * *

It was nearly three o' clock when Elena set her apron back under the counter. She had been pondering over everything that Damon had told her this morning. She knew where he was coming from, with wanting to take care of her. However, Elena really didn't want to just quit her job. It was a decent paying job, and she liked it, to be honest.

But Damon's words kept floating back in, and Elena decided that he was right on some levels. She Elena looked around.

"Where's Elijah?" she wondered. She hadn't seen him at all that day, and it was unusual that he wasn't in today. He was always in. Hopefully nothing bad had happened.

"He's not here," Vanessa sighed as she stocked the napkin dispenser.

"I can see that," Elena said dryly.

"It is unusual that he's not in today," Vanessa observed, and Elena agreed.

"Well, I'm heading out," Elena said, and Vanessa waved. She had seriously considered talking to Elijah about her job, but seeing as he was M.I.A., she couldn't.

Damon's car was waiting for her as she stepped into the outdoors. She sighed as she climbed in.

"Hey," Damon said, turning down his radio as he merged onto the street. "How was work?"

"Alright," Elena told him. "Nothing new,"

"So where's Anna's?" Damon asked, his voice edging with anger.

Elena knew that he wanted to say it was Anna's because he wasn't comfortable with her being at Ben's. Whatever let him let her go over to their house, she was fine with.

"Just take this exit here," Elena said as she looked at the map on her phone, and Damon turned left and onto the freeway.

"Thank you _so_ much for helping me out, Elena," Anna sighed as she opened the front door. Elena nodded as she stepped into their house. The place was a small and homey little place. It had dozens of pictures hanging on the walls, and Elena smiled as she recognized Ben and Anna in a photo of four. The other two people Elena assumed were their parents. Anna was the spitting image of their mother.

"No problem," Elena smiled. "I'm happy to help."

"At least someone is," Anna scoffed, and just then, Ben came from around the corner.

"Well, I'm not really a "planter", nor a hard-worker," he smirked, and Anna whipped around and smacked him on the arm. Elena smiled. The way that Anna and Ben interacted had reminded her of herself and Jeremy. Was that what they looked like to the outside world? She had hoped so.

"And you're also an annoying person," Anna laughed.

"Hey, Elena," Ben waved, and Elena smiled in return.

"Shall we go?" Anna smiled at Elena.

* * *

Elena sat on the grass out front, patting a soft bed of dirt. Anna had given her a box of daisies to plant into the ground. Elena loved daisies. Her mother had also loved them. It was her mother's favorite flower.

The sun was beating down on them, and Elena wiped a bead of sweat off of her forehead. Anna was already on her third box, and Elena was just beginning her second.

"Jeez, you're fast," Elena laughed, and Anna turned to look at her.

"I've been at this for a while," Anna shrugged. "After my attack, my parents threw me in therapy. I hated it. I couldn't stand to just sit there and tell some stranger my life story. I didn't trust anyone then, and I just walked out of the office,"

"But, as time went on, I learned to adjust, and I soon liked it. Melinda, my therapist, recommended that I get into something for a hobby, and I saw that she had a beautiful indoor garden. She told me about her passion for gardening, and I've been at it ever since,"

Elena remembered that Ben had mentioned that Anna had experienced a similar situation as her own. Elena wondered how old Anna was when she had went through it.

"I was sixteen," Anna says quietly. "It was ... horrible. My boyfriend, Noah, was drunk, and he-"  
Elena didn't need Anna to continue. She knew how it ended.

"You?" Anna wondered, and Elena looked up into Anna's warm eyes. She looked as if she caught her intrusion, but she shook it off well.

"I was seventeen," Elena said softly as she ran her hands along her thighs. It was somewhat comforting. "It was after my prom, I was walking home, and-Well, you can guess the rest," Elena sighed.

"Yeah," Anna nodded, and Elena looked down at the box of daisies.

"I ended up pregnant," she blurted. What the hell? Why did she say that?

"What?" Anna's eyes shot out of their sockets. "Did you get an abortion?

_Too late to take them back, Elena._

Elena shook her head. "I had my baby, and I gave him away," Elena swallowed. "It was the best thing for him, and I couldn't be the mother that he so desperately needed."

"Oh, my god," Anna sighed, sympathy reflecting in her brown eyes. "I'm so sorry, Elena. I can't imagine all of what you must've went through,"

Elena smiled. "Thank you, Anna,"

The rest of the time was filled with small talk, and Elena and Anna exchanged the names of their favorite bands and shows. It turned out that they had more in common than they knew.

Six o' clock rolled around fast, and Elena looked up to the darkening sky.

"I think that we can be done," Anna said as she dusted her hands off.

"Alright," Elena hopped up from the floor. Her legs were so sore from sitting for that long. She surely would need a good soak in the tub.

"Hey, that's a pretty necklace!" Anna smiled as she pointed to Elena's pendant. She looked down and took it in her hands. "Where'd you get it?"

"It was a gift from my boyfriend," Elena smiled as she thought of Damon. She still caught herself swooning with glee as she rehashed last night in her mind.

"It's so pretty," Anna smiled.

"Thank you," Elena returned Anna's smile.

"It's gonna rain. Are you two done yet?"

Elena whipped around to see Ben approaching them.

"Yeah, we're just cleaning up," Anna nodded as she bent down to pick up the empty boxes. Elena mirrored her actions.

"Do you need a ride home, Elena?" Anna asked, and Elena straightened up. Damon was probably expecting to pick her up, but a ride with Anna wouldn't kill him. Elena liked Anna, but not like _that._

"Sure," she nodded. "Thanks,"

"No problem," Anna smiled. "It's the least I could do after you sat out here with me for four hours and planted."

"They look good, sis," Ben said, admiring the plants.

"Of course they do. Elena helped me," Anna scoffed.

"Hey, Anna's the real mastermind here," Elena shook her head. Anna knew what to do, and Elena had been so far behind. Anna deserved every amount of credit. Elena wouldn't accept it.

"Hey, Elena, can I talk to you?" Ben asked, and Elena blinked. What did he want?

Ben looked at Anna, and Elena traced his gaze.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Anna scoffed. "Am I supposed to leave?"

"Yes," Ben nodded. However, Anna stayed in place, smirking, and Ben rolled his eyes as he pulled Elena to the back of the house.

"So, is Jer fine?" Ben asked.

Elena nodded. "He's with some friends right now." She knew that he wasn't pulling her over to talk about her brother.

"That's good. So how are you?"

"Look, Ben, I know that you're not wanting to do the whole 'small talk' thing, and frankly, I'm awful at it, so could you please just cut to the chase?" Elena begged. She couldn't stand her much longer. The stalling was annoying her so much.

"Elena, I can't stop thinking about you," Ben admitted, and Elena closed her eyes in pain. _Why did this have to happen?_

"Ben, I'm-"

"I _know_ that, Elena," Ben snapped, and Elena flinched. Ben must've noticed, because his voice became softer. "I know that you two are together. Jeremy told me. And don't tell me that we can be friends. Because I can't be friends with you, not when I know that you are with some other guy when I feel this way about you," he told her.

"I understand," Elena nodded, looking down at the floor. She knew that this was for the best.

"But, before I go," he said softly, and Elena glanced up at him. Ben's eyes were shining with several different emotions, but the one that stood out to Elena the most was desire. "Let me do one thing,"

Elena watched as Ben slowly walked towards her, and he stood in front of her, leaning down as his lips softly brushed against hers. Elena felt Ben's warm hands cup her face, and she suddenly felt overwhelmed with guilt as his lips pressed softly against hers. Instantly, Ben's arms laced around Elena's waist, and Elena didn't know what to do. She didn't want to respond, because then Ben would get the wrong idea.

"Elena,"

"Ben, stop," Elena shook her head as she pulled away. She couldn't do this. She couldn't give him what he wanted, even as a parting gift. She couldn't cause him any more pain. He didn't deserve it.

"I'm sorry," Ben sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Goodbye," Ben smiled as he kissed her forehead.

Elena looked up, and Ben's retreating back was in her view.

"Sorry about my brother," Anna said as she rolled her eyes. "He can be such an annoying little pest,"

"it's fine," Elena shook her head. "He deserves better than me. Besides, I'm in love with my boyfriend," she admitted.

"Ooh," Anna squealed. "Tell me more, Tell me more," She sang, and Elena laughed.

"He's a really great guy," Elena said, her heart swelling with glee as she thought of Damon. And it was then that Elena realized that there'd be no one else for her. Only Damon.

"Is he hot?" Anna smirked, and Elena shot her a look as she smiled. "I'm just making sure that you're not dating some slob," she raised her hands in defense.

"I know," Elena smiled. Anna may have only been introduced to her in the last few days, but she was already acting as if she was talking to Caroline or Bonnie.

Elena grinned as she pulled out her phone and showed Anna a picture of her and Damon at her birthday party. She was drunk, but she knew that Caroline had snuck the picture.

"Damn," Anna breathed, shaking her head in disbelief. "He's fucking hot as hell,"

"Hey," Elena giggled.

"You two look great together," Anna smiled.

"Thank you," Elena grinned.

"Have you-?" Anna wondered, and Elena bit her lip.

"Ooh, you have got it _bad,_ girl," Anna giggled.

Suddenly, her phone broke out, and Jeremy's name flashed across the screen.

**_From Jeremy: Elena, I need you to come pick me up. My friends got drunk and I didn't want to drive with them. I'm at the Park Square Theatre._**

Elena sighed. What the hell was Jeremy doing there?

"What is it?" Anna asked.

"Jeremy's abandoned. His friends got drunk and he needs me to pick him up."

"Where is he?"

"Some theatre called Park Square," Elena said.

"Alright," Anna said as she grabbed her keys. "Let's go,"

* * *

A crack of thunder echoed in the distance as Anna pulled over into a parking lot attached to Park Square Theatre.

"Damn it, Jer, answer your phone," Elena huffed. She'd been trying to call him for the last three minutes. He wasn't answering.

"Are you sure he's _here?_" Anna asked as she ducked and looked out of the window. The building looked abandoned. It spelled trouble.

"He wouldn't lie to me," Elena said, and she didn't mean to sound as accusing as she had. She knew what Anna meant.

"He told me 'Park Square Theatre'." Elena shrugged as she checked the text again. She suddenly found herself unbuckling her seatbelt. "I'll go look for him. You can go, I'm sure he's here," Elena said.

"Are you sure?" Anna blinked, and she looked at Elena as if she was a crazy person.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'll call Damon for a ride. You don't have to wait around. I don't know how long we'll be. Thanks for the ride, Anna. I'll see you later," Elena said as she hopped out of the silver car that Anna and Ben shared.

"Alright. See you, Elena." Anna waved as she pulled out into traffic.

Elena looked up at the brick building. Jeremy better not be messing with her. Elena quickly pulled out her phone and saw that she had two bars. Deciding that there might not be service inside of the building, she typed out a message to Damon.

**_To Damon: Hey, I'm at Park Square Theatre. Jer called for a ride. Anna dropped me off. Told her not to stick around. I'll call you when I find him. _**

**_I Love you._**

* * *

Elena entered the building, and no one seeemed to be around. It was dark, and the second that Elena shut the door, the lights flickered on, startling her. Damn, she was paranoid.

"Hello?" she called as she walked around. "Jeremy?"

The main lobby had a concession stand, and Elena wondered when this place closed down. It looked like it hadn't been occupied in weeks, maybe months.

Elena walked into the auditorium, which was dimly lit as she wandered down the aisles. The stage was huge, and she looked around for anything that would tell her that Jeremy was here.

"Jer?" she called again, her voice swallowing.

"Elena?" He called, and Elena sighed, buckets of relief spilling off of her.

_Thank God!_

"Jer, where are you?" she called, running through the rows of seats. She'd heard his voice. She knew she had.

Elena hopped onto the stage, hearing Jeremy's voice again. Damn it, where was he?

As Elena entered the back of the stage, she felt cold all of a sudden. She immediately wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to get warm. As she heard something that sounded like Jeremy again, she ran. However, as Elena entered another room, she heard an eerie clicking sound. Was that a-?

"Don't move."

Elena wanted so bad to turn around, but every cell in her body was telling her to _stay still. _What the hell was going on? Where was Jeremy?

"Turn around."

Elena swallowed, and started shaking as she slowly turned around, and when she did, she came face to face with a gun.

_Oh, god. No, no, no, no, no, no._

Elena's breath caught in her throat. She was face to face with death. She didn't want to die. Her eyes immediately blurred as tears streamed down her face.

"Please," she sobbed, her vision becoming blurry as she took in the stranger's appearance. He was wearing dark clothing, and like her, was wearing a black hoodie. However, his hood was up, unlike hers. He raised the gun higher, and Elena flinched in fear.

"Where's my brother?" She asked. Jeremy wasn't here. It was a trap.

_No shit, Sherlock._

"It was so easy to get rid of him," the stranger's voice hissed.

"Who are you?" she asked. She needed to know who had harmed Jeremy. Even if she died right then and there, she would need to die knowing who had hurt him, let alone who killed her.

"Aw, come on. Don't you recognize me, Elena?" The voice sneered, and Elena was too afraid to even think.

"No? Alright. I suppose I'm feeling generous today," the man said as he lowered his hoodie.

Elena felt all of the oxygen abandon her body as she gasped.

"Kol." Elena swallowed.

"Well, hello, darling. Miss me?"

* * *

**AN3:** Whew! That was a long and intense one! ( I hope) and I really decided that I liked the potential of Anna's character, so that's why I've included the gardening scene with Elena. She needed someone to connect to about her past. I love to write this story for you all, and I promise to update within the next few days! I'm working on my other story, _Once Bitten, Forever Marked_, as well as _Shelter_ at the moment. Stay tuned!

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	25. Twenty-Four

**CHAPTER 24:**

"You're alive," Elena breathed, shaking immensely. Kol Mikaelson stood in front of her, alive and in the flesh. Elena's nerves stood up on high alert. How was he even alive? She had thought that he'd bled to death from the knife wound. Who helped him out.

"It would appear so," Kol sighed as he held the gun in her face. "Anything else that you're not understanding?"

"How?"

"I have my ways, Elena." Kol said softly, and Elena swallowed.

"Did you like the gift?" he smirked. "Your brother's blood?"

Elena's own blood ran cold at the mention of that.

"How did you get it?" Elena snapped. Surely Kol wasn't working alone. Those emails alone proved it. And the very fact that he was even alive.

"Oh I have many ways of getting what I want. And many people who do them for me." Kol sneered. "Your brother Jeremy hangs out with the wrong crowd, Elena. "

Jeremy.

"Where's my brother?" Elena hissed. If anything happened to Jeremy.

"Oh, come now," Kol scoffed. "He's taken care of,"

A creek came from somewhere, and Kol turned around. Elena took the opportunity to run. She ran as fast and as quiet as she possibly could, ducking behind a hidden stage door.

"Elena!" Kol's voice roared, and a gunshot sounded.

"I know you're in here," Kol said, his voice arctic. "If you want to see your brother again, then I suggest that you come out here by the count of three." Jeremy's alive?

Elena's stomach churned as she heard Kol begin to count down. Her hand flew to her mouth, and she had prayed that she wouldn't throw up. She couldn't afford to. Not when her life and Jeremy's were at this much risk.

"Two," Kol hissed, and Elena slowly raised her hands in the air as she climbed out of the stage.

"Ah, wonderful," Kol smirked, and Elena saw him raise the gun once more.

"P-Please, d-don't d-d-o this," she begged, her face sticky with tears.

"Oh, darling. It's already done," Kol chuckled darkly as he circled Elena. She whipped around the second that he was out of her sight.

"Why are you d-doing this?" she asked. She needed to know why Kol had betrayed her.

"Oh, there are many a reasons as good as any to enlist in the Project Eliminate Elena Gilbert," he deadpanned, and Elena swallowed. "But _mine,_ however, is a lot more complicated."

"The second that I found out who you really were, I didn't know what to make of it. You were a dirty little slut, getting raped and pregnant after your junior prom." Kol tusked. "What a pity. For_ you,"  
_"However, I soon came to realize that you would never return my feelings, and I thought, 'you know what? Screw it.'" Kol shrugged nonchalantly. "At least _he'd _be happy knowing that _I _was the one to end Elena Gilbert."

"Who are you working for?" Elena whispered.

Kol raised the gun. "You don't get to ask questions!" he barked, and Elena swallowed as she felt tears spring anew. She would just have to sit here, waiting for Kol to pull the trigger.

"Kol," Elena swallowed. "Listen to me, please. I don't know what he's offering you, but if you _really_ cared about me, at all, and it wasn't just some big lie, then please, don't pull the trigger."

Kol's eyes flashed with hesitation, and Elena thought that he was considering her offer. However, when Kol shook his head, Elena's breath caught in her throat.

"See, that's why I did this. You think that it's _all_ about you, _Elena._ But it's _not._ Other people have feelings, and you don't give a _damn_ about them. That's why I've gotten over you, and that's why I don't care when I do this,"

A shot rang again, and Elena fell to her knees, howling in agony. The bullet hit right into her lower calf. She couldn't _believe _that Kol had actually pulled the trigger. She knew that if he actually were going to, that he wouldn't have killed her.

"Don't think that you have _any _hold on me, Elena." Kol hissed, and Elena felt her ribs ache as Kol's foot swiftly kicked it. _Fuck! _It hurt like a bitch, and Elena choked on her breath. She began to fade out as she heard Kol's sinister laugh.

"Say goodbye, Elena Gilbert." he said as Elena heard another clicking sound.  
She closed her eyes, tears sliding down her face for the last time.

Everyone that Elena loved popped into her mind, and she squeezed her eyes even tighter. _I love you all, so much... _Ryan, Jeremy, Damon, Jenna, Caroline, Bonnie, everyone heard it. She knew that they had.

_Goodbye,_ she whispered.  
Elena heard the gun being knocked to the ground, and she slowly rolled over on her side despite the pain. Elena slowly opened her tired eyes, and saw Damon on top of Kol, hitting him and punching him. Kol's shouts of pain resonated throughout the auditorium, and Elena smiled.

"Damon," she breathed. He's was there. He saved her.

Blue eyes pierced her own, and suddenly, Kol was on top of Damon.

"No!" Elena cried, and she tried to reach for the gun, but her arm wasn't long enough. She scooted closer, and when she gripped the gun, she let out her held breath. Damon yelled something to her, but when she turned back toward him, she tossed him the gun, and everything faded to black.

* * *

_"Elena," Damon breathed. He was standing beside her, in a field of roses._

_"What?" She giggled. Damon wore a bright grin, and he looked at her as if she were his entire world._

_At least, that's what she'd hoped._

_"I wanna show you something," Damon said, and Elena nodded._

_"What?" _

_"Close your eyes," Damon said softly, and Elena sighed contently as she closed her eyes._

_She felt Damon's hand slid in hers, and Elena's stomach fluttered. She felt right with the world whenever she was around Damon, but when he held her hand... she felt like she was on _top _of the world. _

_"Damon-"  
"No talking," Elena could hear his smirk. Damon and his secrets._

_"Alright, open your eyes," _

_Elena blinked, and when she saw what was in front of her, she gasped._

_The backyard at Damon's house was unrecognizable as she looked around. Bright white lights hung from a string along the trees, and lanterns were lit up everywhere, pastel colors illuminating the night sky. The floor was covered in rose petals, blood red, beautiful._

_"Oh, my god, Damon," She breathed, tears clouding her eyes as she turned to look back at Damon._

_"How did you-?"_

_"Jeremy helped," Damon shrugged as he smirked. "I figured I owed you an apology after everything," he said, and Elena bawled her eyes out. _

_"I love you, so much," she whispered in his ear. Damon's arms wrapped around Elena's waist, and she felt his arousal at her belly._

_"I know," he told her. "Because I love you more than you could ever know," _

_Elena fell on top of Damon, and she hungrily kissed him. He only returned her passion as he reached behind her to unzip her dress._

* * *

"Elena,"

_Jeremy's alive!_

Jeremy's voice called from afar, and Elena wanted to respond But she couldn't.

"Elena, I'm so sorry, that this happened to you," his voice cracked, and Elena wanted so desperately to reach out and hold his hand. She couldn't stand to hear his anguished voice. It wasn't his fault. He had to know that!  
But sleep pulled her under.

* * *

"How did this happen?" Elena heard Caroline hiss.

"Jeremy texted her to pick him up at the Park Square Theatre, and it was a trap. Kol was waiting for her." Damon's voice snarled.

"She's alright, Damon, she's alive," Caroline said softly, and Elena heard her smile.

"I know. I was so worried about her."

* * *

"When will she wake up?"

"Well, Mr. Salvatore, Elena needs as much rest as possible. I cannot give you an exact answer yet."

Elena wanted to wake up to Damon, wake up and tell him that she's alright, that she's alive.

"It's been four days." Damon hissed.

* * *

"How's she doing?" Jenna's voice rang, concern laced inside of her words.

"She's still out, Jenna," Damon's voice told Jenna.

"God, what was she thinking?" Jenna scoffed.

"She wasn't. She thought she was helping Jeremy."

"Damn, if _I _got a message from her telling me to go to some abandoned building, I wouldn't have just walked right in there, alone. _Especially _after knowing that-"

"She doesn't know, Jenna." Damon snapped.

_Know what?_

* * *

"Jeremy told us that she was in the hospital." Ben's voice said softly. "We just wanted to stop by and see her,"

"Well, she's clearly not conscious," Damon snapped.

"Damon," Caroline's voice was razor-sharp.

"Well, could you tell her we stopped by?" Anna asked.

* * *

Elena's eyes fluttered open, and she's blinded by the sun. A monitor beeps in the background, and she moves her arm to turn the sound off. She's been wanting to smash the thing since she heard it four days ago and counting.

"Thank god," she sighed, and when she moved her legs, she felt something heavy on them.

"Elena," Damon's gasp startled Elena, and she smiled.

"Hi," she croaked.

"Thank Christ," Damon sighed with relief, gratitude in his blue eyes. "I never thought that you'd wake up," his voice cracked, and Elena wanted to kiss his worry away. She was not able to sit up, unfortunately.

"I'm so sorry I worried you," Elena burst into tears. Damon immediately grabbed her hand in his, and he brought it to his lips.

"It's alright," he smiled. "You're safe, you're alive, and you're-"

Damon's eyes darkened, and Elena swallowed.

_What was up with him?_

"What is it?" Elena asked, frowning as she scanned Damon's face for any sign or recognition.

"Elena, there's something that you should know-"

A knock sounded at the door, and Elena and Damon looked up to see a male doctor enter the room. Elena recognized him as the same man who took care of Meredith.

"Good, you're awake," he sighed, and Elena nodded.

_Obviously._

"Send him up," the doctor said, and Elena frowned.

_Send who up_? _He who?_

"Damon, what's g-?" Elena turned to Damon, worry blooming in her stomach. What the hell was all of the commotion. The only thing Damon did was squeeze her hand.

"Miss Gilbert, do you know where you are?"

"Richmond Hospital,"

"And do you remember what happened that brought you in?"

Elena frowned. Kol, the gun, the shot, the fight.

"Yes," She nodded.

"Could you tell me what year it is?" the doctor asked as he paced around the room.

"2012. October," she said.

"What's your name?"

"Elena Marie Gilbert," she sighed.

"She's clear." the doctor murmured to a nurse, who nodded and left.

"What's going on?" Elena asked, nervous.

"Miss Gilbert, you've been in the hospital for nearly a week and a half." The doctor said. "You suffered a brain concussion and severe bleeding in your left leg. Also, you're ribs were bruised. Not broken."

"O-okay," Elena said.

"However, while we examined your body, we found some...startling news that you might want to know-"

"Robert's outside, sir." A woman came up to notify the doctor, who nodded.

_What had happened? What did they find? And Who the hell was Robert?_

"Excellent. Send him in."

Elena braced herself for this mysterious person to walk into her room, and when she saw who walked into her room, her mouth fell open. Nothing could've prepared her for this.

"Ah, Miss Gilbert."

Elena looked up to see Dr. Ottavi, and her brain fuzzed._ Robert Ottavi. She should've known. _

_What the hell was he doing here?_

"Dr. Ottavi," she breathed. "What are you doing here?"

Dr. Ottavi's face frowned, and he turned to the other doctor. "She doesn't know?"

"We were just about to tell her," the doctor hissed.

"Ah, Well," Dr. Ottavi cleared his throat as he smiled warmly at Elena.

"What's going on?" Elena snapped, getting sick with anxiety and impatience.

"Congratulations, Miss Gilbert." Dr. Ottavi attempts a smile. "You're pregnant."

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	26. Twenty-Five

**CHAPTER 25: **

Elena's eyes widened.

"What?" She squeaked, her voice cracking. No, she wasn't pregnant, she-

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

Elena realized with shock that she and Damon had been together quite a few times, and each time, they were so caught up in the moment, and they hadn't used any contraceptions.

"Elena,"

Elena turned to see Damon's wide-eyed expression. His eyes were sending her a secret message.

"Oh, god," she breathed. She wasn't ready for this. She couldn't be a mother! She wasn't ready last time, and she sure as hell wasn't ready this time. Elena's hand flew to her stomach, and she swallowed.

"We'll give you two some time," Dr. Ottavi said.

The door closing was like fireworks to Elena. Loud and noticeable.

"Oh, god, oh, god, oh, god-" Elena began to breathe heavily.

What was Damon's reaction?

"Elena, I need you to calm down," he said, taking her hand in his and rubbing it.

"Calm down?" She snarled. "Damon, I _can't _calm down, not after _that!_" Elena shrieked. How in the hell-?

"Jesus, Elena, you're pregnant. Don't overexert yourself," Damon hissed.

And the elephant in the room let out a mighty roar.

"I can't be-" Elena sobbed. "I'm not-I'm not-"

"Elena!" Damon snapped, and when Elena turned to look at him, he cupped her face in his hands.

"Listen to me. I _know _that you're probably scared-"

"Scared?" she gasped. "I'm _terrified!" _

"I know that your _terrified._" Damon said. "But there's nothing we can do about it. We were foolish and didn't use any protection, so we're paying the price for it."

Elena's heart squeezed as Damon words sunk in.

_Paying the price?_

Was he upset?

"Are you angry?" she whispered, looking fearfully into crystal blue eyes.

"No," Damon shook his head. "I may not have been prepared to hear the news, but I'm not upset. I believe that we can do this, Elena."

"Are you _serious?"_ she squeaked. "You want to keep the baby? After _everything_ that's happened, after all of the shit that I've brought into your life?"

"I am. And I don't _care_ about all of that, Elena. I couldn't give a flying fuck about everything that you've brought into my life. As long as you come along with it, I'd _gladly _go through all of that again as long as I get you in the end."

Damon's sweet words took Elena by surprise. Damon was basically offering her a family, a family with _him._ And that was so much more than Elena had ever dreamed of. A family, a husband. A home. However, Elena knew that she was damaged goods no matter what Damon said, and it was that fact that kept haunting her.

"I don't know if I can do this, Damon," she whispered.

"Don't say that," Damon says softly, but his voice is sharp. "Elena, I saw you with Ryan. You were a natural. There's not a doubt in my mind that you couldn't be a mother." he told her.

"Damon," Elena choked, and Damon kissed her with everything that he had. Elena was lost to his spell over her, and She felt him cup her face tenderly as the kiss deepened. He broke apart quickly, leaning his forehead against hers.

"I want our child," Damon breathed, and suddenly Elena squirmed as she felt Damon's hand rest over her stomach. "I want you," he kissed her forehead softly. "I want us." he pulled away and looked into her eyes. All Elena saw was his love for her shining in his orbs. "For forever."

"I love you, Elena," he says. "And I want you, body, mind, and soul. I want to wake up next to you every morning for the rest of my life, and I want to hold you in my arms every night. I want to hear you laugh at the memories that we make, and I want to comfort you when you're scared or sad. I want to give you your dreams, Elena. And I want to give you me."

Damon's heartfelt words poured into Elena's heart, and Damon's thumb reached up to wipe away a stray tear.

"Damon-"

"Elena," Damon breathed as he reached behind him and grabbed a velvet box on the table. "Please, do me the honor, and marry me."

Elena's mouth fell so hard to the floor that she was sure that it had fell through the floor.

_Marry?_

"Damon-" Elena smiled through her tears.

"I'm not asking you to marry me because of the circumstance, Elena. I'm asking you to marry me because I'm in _love_ with you." he said, his voice soft and vulnerable.

Elena tried so hard th convince herself to think about it, to think logically. But she couldn't.

So she nodded.

Damon smiled a grin so wide that Elena was sure he'd never smiled like that before. She watched as he popped the box open and slid the golden ring onto her ring finger on her left hand. It fit perfectly, like Cinderella's glass slipper.

"Yes," she said through tears of joy. "Yes, I'll marry you,"

Damon stood up, pulling her flush against him. Elena would've cried out in pain, but she felt none. Damon was her magic charm, taking away pain and feeding her happiness. She threw her arms over his neck, pulling his hair through her fingers.

"I love you so much," She whispered, and Damon moaned.

"We need to stop," he said, pulling away. Elena was about to ask why he'd pulled away, but a knock at the door sounded.

"Are you two ready?" Dr. Ottavi's voice called.

"Yes,"

* * *

"Well, Miss Gilbert," Dr. Ottavi said as he stood up. "I look forward to seeing you two in a few weeks. Stay safe and Congratulations to you both,"

Elena waved to Dr. Ottavi, and just as she turned to Damon, the other doctor, Dr. Wellings, stepped in.

"You ready to get out of here, Miss Gilbert?"

* * *

Elena was cradled in Damon's arms as they stood in the elevator on the way to his apartment. Elena squirmed in Damon's grasp, wanting to get down.

"Please set me down," she asked.  
"What, you don't like being in your fiancé's arms?" Damon smirked, and Elena blushed from head to toe.

"I just want to feel my feet." she said, grinning.

"Alright," Damon said, and he bent to set Elena on the floor.

"Thank you, she said.

Damon nodded, and once the elevator signaled it's arrival, the doors opened.

Elena immediately took her opportunity and lunged at Damon, pinning him against the wall of his living room. She ran her hands along his biceps, and clawed at his chest through his shirt.

"Whoa, Elena," Damon shook his head. "Stop."

Elena froze. "Why?"

"Why?" Damon scoffed. "Because you're still injured."

"Do you not want your fiancee to kiss you?" she purred, and Damon's eyes darkened.

"I just want her to be safe," he said softly. "She's pregnant with our child."

"Then kiss her back," she growled. "Or she'll despise you for the night."

Damon hesitated, and once Elena's lips hovered over Damon's he lost it. His lips crashed onto hers, and he slowly and carefully picked her up by her behind, and Elena immediately cooperated with her legs around his waist.

"That's more like it," Elena moaned as Damon pushed her up against his door.

"God, Elena," He breathed as she felt his arousal nudge her belly. "You drive me _crazy, _you know that?"

"I do, because you do the same thing to me," she purred.

Damon immediately thrust himself against Elena, and she whimpered as her ribs ached.

"Fuck," Damon snapped as he pulled away from Elena. "This is what I'm talking about." he told her. "Get in bed."

Elena frowned. If only she hadn't whimpered, they'd still be locked in an embrace.

"Elena," he breathed.

"Come to bed with me," she begged, and Damon hesitated.

"Alright," he nodded. Damon scooped up Elena in his arms as he walked into his room and set her on the plush bed. Damon pulled the covers back and threw them over Elena's body.

Damon kissed her forehead and walked over to the other side of the bed. Elena felt the mattress sink as Damon climbed in beside her, and she immediately felt his hand spread out over her stomach.

"I love you," he whispered. Elena placed her hand over his. "I love you, too," she replied and she felt tears of joy as sleep consumed her.

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	27. Twenty-Six

**AS OF 7-20-13, THIS ENTRY HAS BEEN EDITED AND REUPLOADED. PLEASE REREAD IN ORDER TO MAKE SENSE OF COMING CHAPTERS.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 26:**

Elena immediately shot up.

"Where's Jeremy?" she asked Damon frantically, who was leaning against the wall in bed, watching her.

She had just remembered everything that had happened when she went to find Jeremy at the Theatre, only to find out that Kol had stolen Jeremy's phone, and possibly Jeremy himself.

"Elena, relax," Damon held his hand over her lips. Elena looked down, frowning. "Jer's fine,"

"Damon, tell me," she demanded.

"Elena, stop overworking yourself," he snapped, and Elena flinched. She was about to ask why he was being so demanding, but then she remembered why.

"Please tell me," she said softly, calming.

"He's fine," Damon repeated carefully, and Elena let out a sigh of relief.

Thank God.

"Where is he?"

Just then, Elena heard the familiar sound of the front door shuffling open, and she scrambled out of the bed to go see who it was, hoping to God that it was her brother.

"Jeremy!" she gasped as she caught sight of him walking in to Damon's apartment. She threw her arms around him and immediately burst into tears. She was so overwhelmed with everything that had happened last week, and Elena was certain that she wouldn't ever see her brother again.

"Woah, you're emotional," Jeremy chuckled as he returned Elena's hug.

"Well, I thought I'd never see you again," she breathed as Jeremy tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I understand," he nodded.

"What happened on the night that Kol attacked me?" Elena asked Jeremy desperately, ignoring her blood that suddenly ran cold in memory of that night. She wanted answers. She had been sick with worry after realizing that Kol had Jeremy's phone that night.

"Well, I was out with friends, and I set my phone down on a ledge at some bar. We got drunk, and when I went back for it, it was gone." Jeremy says with regret. "I'm so sorry, Elena, it was my fault-"

"Don't say that, Jer!" Elena shook her head. "How could it _possibly _be your fault?"  
"Because if I hadn't gotten drunk, then he wouldn't have taken my phone." he says.

"No, listen," Elena said, imploring Jeremy to listen to her. "What Kol did to me was _not _your fault." she told him.

"Elena-"

"Say it," she snapped.

Jeremy scoffed, but repeated her words.

"What Kol did to me was _not _your fault," he chuckled, and Elena slapped his arm.

"Ass," she muttered playfully, and Jeremy recoiled, feigning pain. "That's not funny,"

"Aw, come on, Elena," Jeremy laughed. "It was, at least a little funny,"

Elena rolled her eyes at her brother.

"So, what did I miss with the happy couple?" Jeremy asked nonchalantly, and Elena visibly swallowed. Should she tell him? Of course, because he would be upset and hurt if she decided to wait until it was obvious.

"Well, we just woke up," Elena stalled. "And we're happy to see you,"

"Cut the crap, Elena. I know that something's up. You're acting weird." he said, frowning.

Elena swallowed, blinking rapidly.

"Jer, why don't you sit down?"

C_an you be any more cliché? _

Elena lead Jeremy over to the couch and when he looked up at her expectantly as he sat down, she felt her stomach flop.

"Shit," she swore, her hand flying to her mouth. Elena scrambled to her feet and ran to the bathroom.

She nearly made it as she fell to her knees in front of the toilet. Her stomach deposited into the porcelain bowl, and Elena coughed.

"Elena," Damon's voice came from the doorway, and soon, her hair was scooped up off of her back.

"It's alright, Elena," Damon soothed as he rubbed her back.

Elena swallowed, and once she was nearly certain that her stomach had moved into the calm waters, she stood up with assistance from Damon.

Elena made her way back to the living room, followed by Damon, who held her hand in support.

"Is this your way of telling me that you're pregnant?" Jeremy joked, and Elena looked down at her hands.

_Nailed it, Jer._

"Wait, you're _actually _pregnant?"

Elena looked up into Jeremy's wide brown eyes, and she nodded, her vision clouded.

"Oh, my god," Jeremy breathed._ "How?"_

Elena rolled her eyes. Leave it to Jer to make light of a sensitive moment.

"I think you know the answer to that, Jer," she retorted.

"Well, am I allowed to congratulate you?" he asked, and Elena nodded.

"Show him, Elena," Damon encouraged, and Elena looked down at her hand.

She held it up to Jeremy, whose eyebrows immediately raised in utter shock.

"Wow," he gasped. "You're pregnant _and _you're engaged?"

Elena nodded, a rush of excitement flooding over her.

"I can't believe this," Jeremy shook his head in disbelief. "My sister's all grown up,"

Elena scoffed, hoping to lure away some of her memories.

"Stop, you're making me cry," she smiled.

"So, do you know what you're having?" Jeremy asked suddenly, and Elena shook her head.

"It's too early to tell, so we're going back in a few weeks." Elena said.

"Ah," Jeremy nodded.

"Shit," Elena swore, her hand slapping against her forehead.

"What's the time?" she asked. She had to get to work.

"Ten thirty-three." Damon said as he pulled out his phone.

"I need to go to work," Elena stood up from the couch instantly, rushing to get ready.

"You're joking, right?" Jeremy scoffed. "Tell me she's joking," he looked at Damon, who was wide-eyed and angry.

"I wish she was," he hissed, and Elena heard him follow her into the guest room.

"You're not going to work," he told her.

"Yes, I am," She dropped the clothes that were in her hands on the bed. "Kol's in custody, and I'm alive," she shrugged. "Everything's fine,"

"Elena, you're still in recovery, and you're pregnant," Damon snapped.

"I'm not even three weeks, Damon," Elena scoffed. That was a stupid reason given that she wasn't that far along. "And I feel fine," she told him.

"Elena-"

"Here, how about this," Elena offered. "You let me go to work-"

"How about not?" He retorted.

"-_If _I resign."  
Damon seriously seemed to be considering this, and Elena sighed in relief. She didn't want to quit her job, but Damon did have a point. Soon, she'd be visibly pregnant, and in reality, she wasn't sure that her job would allow maternity leave.

Damon let out an exasperated sigh.

"Fine," he snapped. "Get ready, I'll drive you,"

* * *

It was around two when Elena leaned on the counter at Smith's, waiting for Elijah to walk through the door. He wasn't around again, and she prayed that he would come in through the door soon.

"Hey, you daydreaming?" Vanessa's voice came from the side, and Elena looked over at her.

"I'm just waiting for Elijah to come back," she sighed as she pushed herself off of the counter. It didn't look like Elijah was coming anytime soon, let alone today.

"Oh," Vanessa nodded, and Elena nodded.

"Good morning, Vanessa,"

Elena turned at the sound of his voice, relieved.

"Elijah," she smiled. She suddenly felt guilt run over her as she looked into Elijah's warm eyes. She didn't want to let him down by resigning.

"Elena," he nodded with a smile. "Good to see you're back and dancing,"

Elena froze. _How did Elijah know that she had been injured?_

Elijah, however, seemed to have caught his mistake, as he straightened up, clearing his throat.

"How did you know that I-?"

"News travels fast around, Elena," Elijah said. "Especially when you've got connections down at the hospital."

"Ah," Elena nodded.

"Well, I must get back to work," Elijah sighed. "Ladies." he nodded at Vanessa and Elena. Vanessa waved toward him, and Elena gave him a smile. Elijah then turned toward his office.

"Oh, Elijah," Elena held her hand up, and Elijah turned around.

"Yes, what is it, Elena?"

"Can we talk?"

* * *

"You're resigning?" Elijah asked, blinking.

They were sitting in his office in the back of the restaurant, and Elena sat opposite of him.

She nodded. Silence had crept up on her. Boy, she felt so guilty.

"May I ask why?"

_You're my boss. Of course, you have the right to._

"I'm, er, recently dealing with some personal issues, and I need some time to sort everything out," she said. It sounded like the lamest excuse in the book, but it was true. Everything had overwhelmed her, Damon, the pregnancy, the whole Jeremy/Kol situation.

"Oh, well, I'm terribly sorry to hear that," Elijah sighed. "We'll miss you here at Smith's," he sighed sadly..

"And I will miss it here as well," Elena admitted as she nodded.

"You've been an excellent employee, Elena," Elijah said as he rose from his seat. He extended his hand to Elena, who roe to her feet as well, taking his hand.

"Thank you, Elijah." she said.

"Well luck with your personal endeavors," Elijah said, and Elena waved as she left his office.

* * *

It was three o' clock, and Elena had just told Vanessa the news.

"God, this _sucks_ that you're leaving," Vanessa groaned in annoyance as she slapped a damp towel onto the marble counter.

"Yeah. I've been dealing with some personal issues," Elena sighed. She liked Vanessa, but if word got to Elijah about why she was really resigning, she'd feel a million times worse for seeming like a liar.

"Well, we should still hangout sometime," Vanessa smiled. "Maybe lunch?"

Elena had to admit that Vanessa's efforts were inspiring. She nodded, even though she probably wouldn't get the chance to catch up.

"I'll see you around, Elena," Vanessa wrapped Elena up in an unexpected embrace, and Elena immediately made a note to make certain that she would catch up with Vanessa some day soon.

As Elena walked out of the bar, she felt her phone vibrate in her purse. Pulling it out, she glanced at it.

_UNKNOWN: Meet me at Maymont Park with our son. I'll be expecting you at 7 tonight. If you don't show up, I will harm everyone that you've ever cared about._

_ Don't think I won't._

Elena swallowed. She knew that she had to meet him, just to be sure that no one would come to harm. After what happened to Jeremy, she wasn't going to be this person's mouse in their games anymore. She wasn't going to just sit back and wait for any more lives to be threatened, or worse, lost. She needed to know who had been tormenting her for the last month and a half. And _nothing_ was going to stop her. She couldn't _possibly _tell Damon, though. Elena sighed, weights of stress and anxiety piling on top of her. How the hell would she get to Maymont tonight?

* * *

"Hey," Damon smiled as Elena hopped into the passenger seat of his car.

"Hi," she said, trying desperately to seem as nonchalant as possible.

"Are you alright?" Damon asked, and Elena swallowed.

_Think, stupid!_

"I am. I talked to Elijah," she said. It was the only thing that she knew that Damon would switch topics well.

"And?"

"And I resigned. He was upset, though, which was expected," she shrugged.

"Well, I don't actually care. I never liked the guy," Damon scoffed as he pulled out of the lot.

The ride home was silent as Elena mulled over the message that was burning a hole in her phone. What should she do? How could she leave without telling Damon anything?

An idea had just popped into her head as Damon pulled into the apartment lot.

* * *

"Hello?"

"Hey, Anna?" Elena asked. She was the only person who could help her. Jeremy had no car, Damon wouldn't let her go, and he'd be able to easily find her if she took a bus.

"What's up?" Anna asked.

"Listen," Elena sighed, not wanting to make small talk. "I need your help."

"What can I do for you?" Anna asked.

"Can you give me a lift to Maymont Park tonight at about 6:30? It's important," Elena told Anna through the phone.

"Sure," Anna said.

"One more thing," Elena said. It was the most important thing apart from transportation.

"What's that?"

"Please don't tell my brother or anyone that I've called you," Elena pleaded.

It took a moment until Anna agreed.

"Alright." she sighed. "Six-thirty?" Anna asked.

"Six thirty," Elena nodded. "I'll text you Damon's address."

"Okay. I'll see you then," Anna said.

"Bye," Elena said, and hung up.

The plan was set. Now the only problem that could ruin everything?

Damon _couldn't_ find out about it.

* * *

It was four thirty, and Elena was pacing the guest room, running her hands trough her chocolate locks. How on earth could she escape Damon?

"Elena," Jeremy knocked on her door, and Elena turned around to face him.

"Yeah?"

"I'm heading out with some friends, and I promise that I won't get drunk," he joked, but Elena still felt a bruise on her heart.

"Alright. Be careful, Jer," Elena said as she hugged Jeremy. "I love you," she said against his neck, and Jeremy pulled back.

"Hey, you're crying," he said softly as his thumb brushed over her cheeks, sticky with tears.

"It's nothing, I'm fine," Elena shook her head. Jeremy couldn't know either. She nearly blew the whole thing. She needed to gain control of her emotions, but the pregnancy was kicking in.

Damn symptoms.

"Are you s-?"

"Yes," Elena nodded. "Have fun with your friends, Jer,"

* * *

It was nearing six when Elena looked at her phone.

**_Anna: Hey, Elena, something came up and I'm not able to give you a ride. Ben could though. _**

Elena frowned as she read the message. Being alone with Ben in a car for nearly half an hour didn't seem very appealing to her. However, she had no other options.

**_Me: Alright. That's fine. Tell him thanks. _**

Just then, an idea how to not let Damon find out about the whole thing popped into her mind.

* * *

Elena sat in the front room, resting on Damon's leather couch. He was outside getting dinner started, and Elena was biting her nails as a result of her growing anxiety.

"Damon," she said suddenly.

"Yeah?" he asked as he wandered in to grab some supplies from the kitchen.

"Caroline called. She's had an emergency, and she needs me to come over now. I know that you're worried about me, but Damon, she needs me." she lied. It sounded very sketchy, but hopefully, it was believable.

"Oh, what happened?" He asked, frowning.

This was the part that concerned her the most. Her alibi.

"Someone tried to pull a gun on her and her co-workers, and she's freaking out," Elena said.

"Well, can you wait?" he gestured to the grill outside. "I'll drive you in-"

_NO!_

"No, it's fine. Bonnie's offered to pick me up. We'll be back soon." she told him.

So far, so good.

"Alright," Damon said softly, and Elena detected a trace of skepticism in his voice. "Call when you get there, okay?" he said.

Elena nodded as she looked at her phone. It was nearly six twenty when she looked at her phone. She had to get downstairs ASAP in order to make it to Maymont in time before he showed up. Ben couldn't know anything.

* * *

Raindrops pounded onto Elena as she ducked out into the outdoors. Ben's car was waiting on the curb, and she ran over towards it.

"Thank you _so _much for doing this, Ben," Elena smiled at him as she slid in the front seat of Ben's silver car.

"No problem," he said, and Elena knew that he was still upset about what had happened when they last saw each other.

Ben pulled away, and Elena hoped that it wouldn't be the last time that she would see Damon's apartment building.

* * *

It was six fifty-three when Ben pulled over to the side of the curb. The park was completely demolished, save for playground. The fire had really did a number on it.

"Thanks again, Ben," Elena said as she climbed out of his car and into the rainstorm.

"Sure," he said. "Are you going to be okay here?"

Elena nodded. "Thanks again," she smiled.

Ben waved as Elena shut the door to his car. She watched as Ben's taillights disappeared into the night.

* * *

Two whole minutes passed, and Elena sat on a swing, twiddling her thumbs as she waited for him to arrive.

She knew that she was risking her life, not to mention her baby's life, to know the truth. She, however, had stuck a knife in her boot, wrapped in one of Damon's socks in case of an emergency.

When she was just about to wander around, looking for any sign of life, a black SUV pulled up to the curb, and Elena swallowed as she stood up.

This was it. After three years, the memories of that night would have a face to her attacker. After three years, she would finally know the truth.

Elena walked over to the man, who was dressed in a dark hoodie, matching the SUV. She couldn't see their face due to the storm, but he heard her approaching him.

"Well, well," he said.

Elena looked up into the eyes of her attacker.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Well, given you can't identify me, I assume that he's not told you."

Who's not told her what?

Elena gaped at the man in front of her, waiting.

"Damon didn't mention me?" he asked, smirking.

Why would Damon-?

"No," Elena said, shaking her head as she backed away.

It wasn't possible. He didn't even know her.

"Oh, yes." The man chuckled.

"I'm Stefan. Damon's brother. It's nice to finally meet you after three years, Elena Gilbert."

Elena continued to back up.

"No," she breathed. No, he wasn't her fiancé's brother. He wasn't the one who had assaulted her three years ago, he wasn't the father of Ryan. He just _couldn't _be.

"Oh, I've already told you," Stefan smiled sinisterly. "It's true, Elena. Don't you see the resemblance?"

Elena squinted through the rain, and when she took in Stefan's features, she gasped.

He looked like Damon. Not enough to be twins, but enough to be biologically related. While Damon's eyes were a beautiful crystal-clear blue, Stefan's were a solid green that _would've _been warm had she not known what they'd been hiding in their depths.

"How-?" Elena asked, shaking her head. She had come here for answers, but all she was getting was more questions. None of it made sense.

"When Katherine left that night, do you know where she went?" Stefan asked, and Elena frowned_. _

_How did he know Katherine, let alone that she had left the prom?_

"How do you know that?" Elena breathed.

"Doesn't matter," Stefan shook his head. "Just answer the question."

"No, I don't. How would I know?"

Stefan chuckled. "Well, you wouldn't. Which is why I will _tell _you," he said.

"Katherine left because I asked her to. She'd been helping me plan the whole evening out."

Wait, what?

"You planned this?" Elena gasped, appalled. What kind of monster would plan to rape someone?

"I did," Stefan nodded. "However, you messed everything up by getting pregnant," he spat.

Elena scoffed, appalled at his complete insensitivity. _"I_ messed up? _You_ were the one who raped me and got _me_ pregnant! I didn't want a baby!" she screamed at him.

"Well, neither did I," he said. "However, I've changed my mind."

"If you think that I will let you lay a hand on my son-"

_"Your_ son?" Stefan scoffed. _"Our_ son."

_"Your _son?" Elena scoffed, her tears blending with the raindrops. "I brought him into this world, and I made sure he had a stable and loving family. Most importantly, I would never _ever_ harm a hair on his head," she hissed. "You don't get to call him your son! He will _never_ be your son,"

"But he is, Elena," Stefan said. "He is,"

Out of nowhere, the back of Stefan's hand harshly bit her cheek, and Elena fell over in pain.

Her wails filled the air, and suddenly Stefan's foot raised to kick her stomach, but Elena huddled in a ball, shielding her stomach. Stefan's foot het her arms bitterly, and Elena silently thanked God that he didn't hit her stomach.

"Oh, what's this?" Stefan asked as he bent down to Elena, his green eyes dark and demented. "Why don't you want me to hit your stomach?"

Elena glared at him as he frowned, her bottom lip trembling as he tried to understand. Suddenly, Stefan's eyes widened, and Elena was pinned to the ground as he placed his filthy hand over her stomach.

"I get it," Stefan sighed. "You're pregnant,"

Elena said nothing as she kicked him in the arm. She couldn't stand to have his hands on her, let alone her baby. Stefan scoffed as he stood up.

"You filthy little slut," he seethed. "You just can't learn to use a damn condom with us Salvatore's, can you?"

Elena's breath abandoned her as Stefan's cold words sunk in.

He was right.

_She was a slut. _

Elena shook her head. What the hell was she _thinking?_

_Like hell, he was right._

Stefan kicked her so fast in the stomach that she didn't have time to shield it. She cried out in pain, the sharp blade of the knife suddenly cutting her ankle.

"What's this?" Stefan asked, bending down and reaching into her boot. It was too late. The sock had peeked through, and the tiny thread of hope that she desperately held onto was now gone.

"Oh, your courage is admirable," Stefan said as he took the knife. Elena whimpered. "You won't be needing this,"

Elena cried out as Stefan's hand moved down to her lower stomach, and when his hand rubbed her center, she screamed in absolute terror.

"Get your fucking hands off of her!"

Elena looked around Stefan through blurry eyes, and when she saw Damon standing near the curb, seething with fury, she nearly cried from relief.

_Damon._

Damon was there.

_Hang on._

_How_ was Damon there? She'd not told him. She made sure of it. She wouldn't be there if she had.

"Hello, Brother," Stefan said calmly as he turned to face Damon.

"Long time, no see," he smiled. "I see we both have the same taste. Filthy, dirty whores."

Elena watched as Damon lunged at Stefan and wrestled him to the ground. Damon hit and punched and slapped Stefan, and soon, Stefan's face was red with blood, and he was unconscious. Damon stood up, breathing heavily as he moved over to Elena in a rush, who gasped as she felt her eyes closing on her.

"Elena!" He cried in desperation as he fell to his knees beside her. "Elena, look at me," he shook his head as he cupped her face. "Elena, look at me," he whispered as he scooped her up in his arms gently. "Please, Elena. I love you. Don't leave me,"

"Damon..." Elena coughed.

And darkness loomed over her.

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Please check out my other story, **_"Once Bitten, Forever Marked"_**! It's DE:) Id' _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	28. Twenty-Seven

**AN: **Hey, guys! SOoOOOOOOOOO sorry with the late update! I have been busy as usual, and I FINALLY got this up! **PLEASE NOTE **that I've decided to edit and reupload the previous chapter so as to make more sense for explaning events in the latest chapters. As of 7-20-13, I've done so for chapter 26, and it's up now! Please reread it to make sense of this one as well as the epilogue. Due to my decision to split the previous chapter up, about half of this chapter is from the last chapter before my re-edit. However, there've been changes to that context as well. Most of this explains everything, and one more chapter! (Epilogue!) so you all have gotten one more chapter!

**xoxo**

**Elizabeth**

* * *

**CHAPTER 27:**

Elena's eyes shot open. Where the hell was she? Her body filled with dread as she recognized the room at Richmond General. How long had she been in there? Elena glanced over at the whiteboard on the wall, and when she read her injuries, the memories pilled on her.

Maymont. Stefan. The kicking. Him slapping her. Damon showing up. _Damon._

Where was he?

Elena looked around, and sighed in relief once she saw Damon glancing out the window. He looked like perfection as he stood there. The only thing threatening that fact was the look of anguish on his face.

"Damon," Elena choked, and immediately, his head snapped toward her, his eyes wide with shock.

"Elena," his voice cracked as he wandered over to her."Where's Stefan?" She asked, looking around. "What h-happened?"

"Stefan's gone, Elena," Damon smiled. "He's in custody, and he's gone. He won't ever hurt you again,"

Elena's eyes swelled with tears of relief as she took in Damon's words. Stefan was gone. He wouldn't hurt her, her loved ones, or her son. Ever.

"How long have I been in here?" Elena wondered.

"Three days," Damon said.

Suddenly, everything that Stefan had told her came flooding back in.

"Damon, Stefan-"

"I know. I was down at the station with him. He told me everything, including the Katherine bit. How he planned it," Damon's voice was arctic as he scowled. "He wanted me to bail him out, the asshole,"

"How did he even know about me? That I was pregnant after-?"

"I don't know, I guess that's one of life's little mysteries," Damon's eyes shone with regret.

"The police are allowing us to go down - once you're _fully_ recovered- to talk to him and get some answers," Damon told her, and she swallowed. Damon took her hand in his.

"I'll be right there with you, Elena," he told her. "You two are not leaving my sight again," he said, and when Elena frowned in confusion, Damon rested his hand over her stomach.

"You took a lot of risks and guts to go and face him," Damon said. "But don't _ever_ do anything like that again, Elena," he said darkly.

Elena nodded as she rested her hand over Damon's in agreement. Tears swelled in her eyes. "I won't."

"Good," Damon smiled.

"Can I ask you something?" Elena wondered.

"Of course," Damon nodded as he caressed her stomach.

"How did you find out that I was at Maymont?"

Damon sighed. "Well, in your rush to get out of the house, you forgot your phone," Damon took out Elena's phone, and she blinked in surprise. How did she forget her phone?

"Caroline called about fifteen minutes after you left, so I answered it, thinking that she was probably wondering where you were." Damon sighed. "When I told her that you had forgotten your phone and were on your way to her office, she had no idea what I was talking about. She was surprised to learn that you were coming to visit her. So, it didn't take me long to realize that you'd lied to me, and just then, Jeremy called me and told me that Ben had called him to tell him that he was dropping you off at Maymont that night to meet someone. It didn't take long to figure out who."

Elena swallowed as she took in every amount of detail and description that Damon had supplied. She felt so guilty for lying to him, but she had to end the whole thing once and for all.

"Elena, do you have any idea how worried I was?" Damon said after moments of silence, his tone ice cold.

"I'm so sorry, Damon," Elena sobbed, her eyes pooling with tears. "I know that you probably want to lock me away so I won't pull something like this ever again," she said quickly, and Damon held his hand up.

"As appealing as that idea sounds, I'm not going to do it. However, you _do_ realize that this is the second time that you've been in here in the last week because you had to sacrifice yourself to save everyone?"

Elena nodded.

"Enough trying to be the hero, Elena," Damon admonished. "You got it? There's too much at risk now, especially now that you're pregnant."

Elena nodded, and Damon leaned in and kissed her forehead softly.

* * *

**_Two weeks later_**

Elena sat in the waiting room at the police station, nervously fiddling with her hands. Her nerves were on high alert, but given that Damon was holding her hand, she could do what she needed to do.

"Miss Gilbert," Elena looked up to see a young man staring at her. He was dressed in a uniform and looked like some park ranger.

Damon immediately stood up and turned to hold out his hand for Elena to take.

Elena took his hand as she slowly got to her feet. Her stomach was now a decently-sized bump, and once she had got to her feet, Elena had rubbed it lovingly. She was amazed at how far along she appeared, given she was only nearly four weeks along.

"Follow me," the man said, holding up a ring which contained several giant keys on it.

* * *

As the Prison guard unlocked the meeting room where she would get answers to her questions, Elena took in a heavy breath. Suddenly, the guard stepped aside to let Elena and Damon in. She looked back to Damon.

"It's going to be fine." Damon said as he rubbed Elena's back comfortingly.

"I know that it will," Elena said softly, smiling at Damon in appreciation.

"Go on in." The guard told them. "I'll just be right outside."

Elena nodded, and together, she and Damon walked into the room.

"Well, well," Stefan's cold voice acknowledged as they spotted him. Stefan was dressed in the usual orange jumpsuit, his hands bound behind his back by metal handcuffs. "Looks like congratulations are in order," he gestured to Elena's stomach, which she was caressing softly.

"Stefan," Damon said, his voice so arctic that Elena hardly recognized it.

"To what do I owe you the pleasure of?" Stefan said in a snide tone.

"Stefan," Elena nodded in acknowledgment. "We need to talk."

Stefan sighed. "I'm not saying anything if we're not alone," Elena frowned, then slowly traced his gaze toward Damon.

"If you think for a _second _that I'm going to leave her-" Damon hissed.

Stefan sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "Well, then, I guess you'll never know what I do,"

"It's alright," Elena told Damon softly. "I'll be fine." She needed to this part alone.

Damon narrowed his eyes at Elena in confusion.

"I need to do this, Damon," she whispered, and Damon nodded in defeat.

"I'll be right outside," he told her as he approached her and kissed her softly.

Elena watched Damon's retreating back until he exited the room.

Once she convinced herself that she was alright, she turned back to Stefan.

"What do you want to know?" he sighed.

* * *

"Why?" Elena asked.

"Why...?"

"Why in God's name did you do this? What did I ever do to you? I've never even met you," she hissed.

"Because I knew that I'd get to Damon by doing so. It's a long list of reasons, Elena, but mostly because I can't stand to see my brother happy."

Elena blinked. "What did he do to you?"

"When my mother left Damon and my father, she regretted it immediately. She tried to go back to him, but my father was too prideful to allow the woman who walked out on him back into his house. Over the years, my mother and I have struggled our entire lives because she chose to walk out on what she had."

"How is that Damon's fault?" Elena hissed. "He didn't tell your mother to walk out on your father, Stefan. She made that choice all on her own. And do you have any idea how much she had hurt him by doing so?"

Damon had been at a loss ever since his mother had left. He never talked about that part of his life, but Elena knew that it wasn't just some little thing he could blow off.

"He got the better end of the deal," Stefan said simply. ""He got the money, the life, the happiness-"

Elena scoffed. "Damon was _never_ happy in that house, Stefan," Elena snapped. If this was one of Stefan's reasons, then it was a poor one. Damon lived in that house all his life and he'd never been happy in it.

"Maybe not," Stefan shrugged. "But, trust me when I say this," he said, leaning in. Elena subconsciously leaned away. "He got the better end."

"So you did it because you were jealous of him?"

"Yes," Stefan nodded. "You know, I'm surprised that you didn't recognize me. Surely, you would've known that he had a brother."

Elena shook her head. "When you and your mother left, Damon was completely hurt by it. He didn't ever talk about you. I knew that he had a brother, but he'd told me that your father had taken down all of the pictures of you and your mother in the house after you two left. And besides, what a five-year-old boy looks like is significantly different to himself at twenty-something."

"True," Stefan agreed. "I guess that I've underestimated my brother."

"Where did Kol fit in?" Elena asked.

Stefan scoffed. "Kol. Well, Kol was just a happy accident. And just in case you didn't already know, his feelings for you were genuine, however, when you continued to refuse him, he gave up on you and came over to the dark side."

"How did he get out of the club?" Elena frowned. "Damon stabbed him, yet he was alive and in the flesh at the theatre the other day."

"With a little help from his brother," Stefan said.

"Wait, Kol has a brother?" Elena gasped.

Stefan nodded. "He does. In fact, it's your old boss, Elijah Smith."

Elena blinked. That was impossible.

"No, you're wrong." She scoffed. "Elijah's last name is Smith, and Kol's is Mikaelson."

"Well, their parents divorced and their mother remarried, and Elijah took his stepfather's name." Stefan explained.

"Well, regardless, Elijah wouldn't help Kol if he was aware of what he had done." Elena scoffed..

"No?" Stefan raised an eyebrow. "If Jeremy was Kol in that situation, you wouldn't help your brother, who was slowly dying from loss of blood?"

Elena gasped. Elijah was in on it as well.

Who else had betrayed her? The list was growing so fast.

"Well, Elijah wasn't in on it, if that's what you're thinking," Stefan shook his head. "He didn't know about your connection with Kol. He just helped his injured brother."

"Speaking of brothers," Elena straightened up. "How the hell did you get my brother's blood? Let alone that amount?"

"One night, I saw Jeremy had been hanging out with his friends. I remember Kol saying that you had a little brother named Jeremy." Stefan shrugged. "So, we hung out, partied hard, and when he'd passed out from the amount of alcohol, I snuck syringes of his blood,"

"Do you have any idea how screwed up and twisted that sounds?" Elena asked bitterly.

"I never asked for your opinion, sweetheart," Stefan sighed as he leaned back in his chair again.

"two more questions, then I need to leave. I can't stand to look at you anymore."

"Excellent," Stefan sat up smiling.

"How did you find out everything about me?" She asked quietly. This had been one of the questions that she had been most nervous about.

"When I found out your name, It wasn't too difficult to find out everything about you. Where you lived, your family members, where you worked, your medical history. I'm a very powerful man, Elena. I have connections everywhere."

"That's how you found out about Jeremy, and you befriended him," Elena breathed. It all made sense.

"Well, look who's smart," Stefan snorted. "Anyway, I found out about our son when I went through your medical records. You were admitted into the Maternity Center at Richmond General on Dec 28, 2008 at 5:30 at night, and at 10:58, you had given birth to a boy. It had said that you had given him up for adoption, and so I traced his information from there, i.e. Meredith,"

"What was Katherine doing with you?" Elena asked.

"Katherine's reasons for helping, I honestly am not sure of what they were entirely. However, I know that she was happy to help me out."

"Why did she leave?"

"Because I told her to." He said simply.

"If you say you planned this, did you plan on me leaving town?" Elena asked.

"Not at first, no. However, when Katherine told me that you had left, I realized that that was a blessing, as Damon was clearly hurt by your departure. And by that, I realized that it made perfect sense why you left. Why would you want to live in the ghosts of your dark past?"

"So, all of this was just to get back at Damon," Elena said.

"Yes," Stefan nodded.

"I don't believe you." Elena snarled. "How could you do that to your own brother, let alone a _complete _stranger?"

"Once again, hurting you meant hurting him." Stefan shrugged.

"Miss Gilbert,"

A knock came from the door, and Elena whipped around to see the guard standing in the door frame.

"Yes," Elena nodded as she got to her feet.

"Thank you," Elena said to Stefan, who raised his eyebrows.

"What for?" he scoffed.

Elena sighed. "This may have all been hell and back, but I honestly don't think that I would be with Damon if it hadn't happened, and I have a beautiful son thanks to you who will be ensured a wonderful and safe life away from you while you rot in hell."

Elena didn't wait to hear a reply from Stefan as she exited the room and ran into Damon's arms.

* * *

**_September 2012-one week later_**

Elena sat in Dr. Robert Ottavi's office, twiddling her thumbs. Today was the day of her appointment. Damon sat beside her, and as Elena's knee jumped repeatedly, Damon placed his hand over it, rubbing in tenderly.

"It's alright, Elena," he told her. "Calm down,"

Elena couldn't. She was nervous and excited and scared, all at once. She was anxious to see her baby, and when she felt Damon's hand rest on her stomach, which was now a visible bump, she gasped.

Damn, his touch did wonders to her. Especially now that the hormones were kicking into overdrive along with the pregnancy.

"Don't touch me," Elena hissed through her teeth.

Damon immediately took his hand away. "Why not?"

"Because," Elena said softly. "I can't control myself, and you're touch is driving me crazy," she admitted.

"Really?" Damon asked, and Elena heard a sense of interest in his voice.

Elena nodded. Damon's hand splayed right over her stomach again, and just as she was about to scream, Dr. Ottavi's door opened.

"Well, Mr. Salvatore, Ms. Gilbert," he sighed. Elena stood up, and Damon rose to his feet as well. "Are you ready?"

* * *

Elena sat on the metal bed in Dr. Ottavi's office, her stomach exposed. Damon's hand caressed it as Dr. Ottavi prepared his machines. Elena wanted so bad to kick him where it'd hurt if he continued.

"Alright," Dr. Ottavi smiled as he came over with a tube of ointment. "Are you ready to see your baby?"

Elena nodded excitedly, and Damon took her hand in his. Elena gasped as the cool ointment made contact with her skin. Damn, that was cold. Elena watched as Dr. Ottavi spread the gel over her bump. He muttered an apology, and Elena watched as he glanced up behind her.

"Oh, my god," He breathed, and Elena felt her mood and stomach shift south.

"What?" She gasped. Nothing was going her way. What if she had ... No. Elena wouldn't think like that. Just when her dark thoughts were returning, Dr. Ottavi cleared his throat.

"Nothing's wrong." he said softly, and Elena let out a sigh of relief. "However, there is something that you two should see."  
Elena's eyes never left Dr. Ottavi as he stood up and rolled the monitor so that Elena could see it as well. And when she did, she gasped.

Two little black circles were front and center on the monitor, and Elena felt her breath abandon her.

"Congratulations," Dr. Ottavi smiled. "As you can see, you're expecting twins,"

Elena blinked. Twins?

"That would explain the extra weight." Dr. Ottavi said. "Right now, you're about twice the size of a pregnant woman who's carrying one child at five weeks. And seeing as you're just three weeks along, it's definitely twins."

She couldn't believe it. She was still staring at her babies on the monitor through her tears.

"I'll give you two a minute," Dr. Ottavi excused himself and stepped out of the room.

"Oh, my god," Elena breathed when they were alone.

"Twins," Damon nodded, and he suddenly bent down to kiss her.

"You're not mad?" She asked, pulling away from him to assess his face.

Damon scoffed. "Why the hell would I be mad?"

"Because you're getting more than what you bargained for," Elena said, gesturing to her bump.

"I'm getting everything that I've wanted, thanks to you," he said as he kissed her forehead. "And, yeah, twins could be a bit tricky, but we'll make it. And there's more of you this way, more to love." he smiled at her as he rubbed her bump.

"Damon-"

"Elena, trust me." he placed his finger on her lips. "We'll survie. As long as we're together, we'll always survive."

Elena couldn't argue with that logic.

So she threw her arms around Damon's neck as she crashed her lips on his, not giving a damn about anything but him and their children.

* * *

_**November 2012- two months later**_

"Damon, where are we going?" Elena asked impatiently as she sat in the passenger seat of his Camaro.

"If I told you, then it wouldn't be a secret," Damon smirked as he snuck a glance at her.

Elena gave up. Damon was being so cryptic today, and she had no idea what he was planning.

Just as she sighed, Elena noticed that Damon had pulled in front an elegant white gate. Where where they, Graceland?

Damon punched in a code, and the gate swung forward, squeaking as it did so. Damon drove along a long street, and Elena rolled down the window and stuck her head out of the window, feeling the wind caress her face as she squealed with excitement. It was so exhilarating, and Elena looked up at the row of trees that hovered over them.

Just as Elena was about to pull her head back in from the window, she began to notice that Damon had turned into a residential neighborhood of mansions that looked expensive. Houses that she could only dream of living in one day.

Damon suddenly pulled into a long driveway that extended off of a cream colored modern-looking house. Elena gasped. It was absolutely breathtaking.

"We're here," he said, and Elena noticed a sense of wariness in his words.

"Where's 'here?'' Elena asked, turning to face Damon.

"What will hopefully be our new house," he told Elena, who gasped.

"You bought a house?" She squeaked, looking back at the extravagant mansion.

"Not yet," Damon said, and Elena turned back to him. "It's just been put up on the Market. It's a great deal, and I want to take it and buy it for us," he told her, and Elena shook her head in surprise.

"Damon, why are you looking for a house?" She asked. "We don't need one."

Damon's hand suddenly caressed her swollen stomach, and Elena gasped at the contact.

"We're having twins, Elena," He said, a hint of excitement and wonder in his voice. "My loft can't hold us all, and It's too small for a family, anyway. It was more of a bachelor pad," he shrugged.

"Damon-" Elena began to protest.

"I want this, Elena." he said softly. "I want to live with you at this beautiful house, and I want to raise our children here, watch them grow up at this house, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you here," he said.

Tears were pooling Elena's eyes as she looked into Damon's rich blue ones.

"Alright," She nodded.

"Alright?" he asked, frowning.

"Buy the house," she said.

"You don't want to look at it first?" He asked her.

"We can still go in and look around, but if you want it, Damon, you can have it. I want to make your dreams come true, too, you know," she smirked up at him, the man she was completely and hopelessly in love with.

"Elena-"

"I trust you, Damon, and I don't need to look at the inside to know that I love it already," she smiled as she shifted to face Damon.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"More sure than I can be," she smiled.

"Alright," he nodded as he hopped out of his door and walked around to open Elena's. He held his hand out to her, and Elena climbed out of the car, rubbing her swollen stomach as she stood on the driveway.

"I love you, Elena Gilbert," Damon said to her. "You know that, right?"

Elena giggled as she held up her ring finger.

"I do,"

* * *

_**June 3, 2013-6:10 A.M.**_

"Elena, you can do it," Damon said beside his wife. Elena looked at him through tears from the hospital bed. She was so scared, but she knew that as long as Damon was by her side holding her hand, she could conquer the impossible.

It was the big day. She was at the hospital bed in the maternity center, struggling to bring her children into the world.

"Just a little bit more, Mrs. Salvatore," Dr. Ottavi instructed, and Elena screamed in pain as she struggled to push her first baby out.

"It's a boy," Dr. Ottavi announced as a piercing cry shattered the air.

Elena let out a sigh of relief. She'd done it. She had brought her and Damon's son into the world. One down. One more to go.

"Damon, I want to see him," Elena sobbed.

"Elena, you still have one more to push out."

"Alright, the second one's coming," Dr. Ottavi said, getting into position.

"Come on, Elena. It's alright, just squeeze my hand." Damon offered as Elena did exactly that. She cried in pain as she pushed, pushed to see her second baby.

A second cry pierced the atmosphere, and Dr. Ottavi chuckled.

"It's a girl,"

Elena felt her heart expand as she sighed. She had officially done it.

"Damon-"

Damon instantly handed her their son, and Elena held him in her weak hands.

He was the spitting image of Damon. When he opened his eyes, Elena saw crystal blue eyes gleaming at her. His fragile and delicate head was covered by locks of raven hair.

"He looks exactly like you," Elena giggled through her tears.

"He's perfect," Damon agreed with a smirk.

"Are you being cocky, Mr. Salvatore?" Elena asked, smirking up at him.

"It's one of my trademarks," Damon shrugged.

That it was.

"What are you going to name him?" Damon asked, and she was suddenly zapped back in time to when she hand just given birth to Ryan, and Jeremy had asked her that exact question, right to the T.

"I don't know yet," she shook her head, hoping to shake of her bittersweet memories as well.

"Well, think fast," he said. "Cause we have a daughter to name as well,"

Elena looked up, and in Damon's arms, was her beautiful daughter. Elena knew exactly what she was going to name her.

"Miranda."

Damon looked at her, his eyebrows raised.

"Miranda Brianna Salvatore."

Damon nodded.

"It's perfect," he agreed. "Like you,"

Elena smiled at him.

"Don't make me cry," she told him through her tears.

"You're already crying, Elena," he laughed.

"Don't make me cry anymore than I already am." she amended.

"Alright," he said. "Sorry for being the thoughtful husband."

Elena scoffed. Damon was such a handful.

"Daniel Greyson Salvatore," Elena said.

"Another perfect choice, Mrs. Salvatore," Damon smirked, and Elena blushed.

"Thank you, Mr. Salvatore," She giggled.

And all was right in the world.

* * *

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW/**_ REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS: Please check out my other stories!** They're DE :) I'd _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13


	29. Epilogue

**AN: **No amount of words can rightfully encompass how touched I am by the support this story has gotten. I thank each and every one of you who have favorited/followed/reviewed this story. I've loved each and every minute writing this story, and I hope you all have loved reading it just as well, and are satisfied with the conclusion.

Thank you all for your support, guys!

xoxo x 1000000000

Elizabeth

**PS:** Please check out my other TVD/DE stories _**Bitten: The Marked, **_it's sequels **_Bitten: The Hunted_** &**_ Bitten: The Saved, Mirrors, The Other Side of Me, Star Crossed _**and **_Temptation._** I'd _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

* * *

**CHAPTER 28:**

_December 2012_

Elena stood in the living room of the place that she'd been calling home for the past three years. The walls were now a creamy white, and the furniture that had occupied the house was now a distant memory as Elena stared at the empty room.

Today, she was moving in with Damon, Today, she was letting go of the chapter that had been the last three years of her life.

It was hard to comprehend. Not four months ago, she had been single, living paycheck to paycheck, working as a waitress at a strip club. Now, she was engaged, and to her best friend.

Elena smiled to herself. How had the one person that she had never imagined having a future with a woman, be the one person who _she _was beginning a future with?

Fate had a crazy way of working.

"Reminiscing about the good ol' times?"

She didn't need to turn around to know that Damon was right behind her. It was as if her body had some radar or detector implanted when it came to Damon. She could be blindfolded in the dark of the night and still find him.

Elena smiled as she felt his arms wrap around her waist,,

"There's not much to reminisce about here," she recalled. Her time in Richmond had been very mechanical. She had developed a liking to her house, but she hadn't thought of it as "home".

_Home is where the heart is._

"I can think of one thing," Damon breathed huskily in her ear, causing sparks of desire to ignite in her blood. Immediately, as if she were watching it in a flashback, she was reminded of the night that they had spent together after the Holiday party that Elijah threw.

"You know, when I pictured my future after high school, I didn't even comprehend the idea of marriage, let alone a family," Damon said, and Elena turned around, curiosity triggered.

"After high school, I'd been the type of guy to bed woman after woman. I didn't bother to know their names. I didn't care. I didn't want to care. I never thought of anything more than just a sexual partner in a woman because I never wanted anything more than that. Until you came back into my life,"

"Everything about you had me thinking. Thinking about what would've happened if you hadn't left town. What would've happened if I'd have just acted on my feelings for you back then."

"You have no idea how many things I regret with you, Elena," he said softly, and Elena closed her eyes.

"Damon, listen to me." Elena said firmly as she took his hand in her own.

"Nothing is your fault," she insisted. "I'm glad that my life has turned out this way. And despite the way that I'm sure you felt after I left town without telling you, I don't think that we would be here, standing here in my apartment, if I _hadn't_ left."

Elena stared into the beautiful blue oceans that filled Damon's eyes, and in them, she saw agreement.

"I agree," he nodded as he spoke softly.

Suddenly, a thought came to Elena's mind. She had to assure him once and for all.

"Do you remember what you said to me at my parent's funeral?"

Damon immediately tensed, and Elena suspected that he was wary to discuss such a sore subject for her. When Damon made no sign to respond, Elena continued.

"You said, 'Elena, you're stronger than anyone I've ever known. You can survive the impossible',"

"I remember. I wrote that in your yearbook at the end of freshman year in high school," Damon said softly, and Elena nodded.

"When I was in the hospital the night that Ryan was born, I was so scared. I was all alone. I didn't have any family or friends in town at the time, except for Meredith, who was on call." Elena explained, and Damon blinked at her as he listened to her. "But, you know what, Damon? There might have not been anyone there with me physically, but there was oneperson who _was_ there for me, even if they didn't even know it at the time,"

When Elena saw the disbelief in Damon's eyes, she nodded.

"You," she breathed, her eyes filling with tears. "You have _no _idea how much you helped me survive that night. Your words came to me, and they were the only thing that truly had kept me going,"

As she looked up at him, Damon swallowed, and Elena saw the skepticism in his eyes.

"Don't you see Damon? You did nothing except help me get through one of the hardest obstacles in my life." Elena confessed. "I may have left town, but the one person I wish I didn't have to leave, was you,"

"I had no idea," Damon breathed, and Elena smiled wistfully.

"Now, you do," she said.

"Guys," Damon's friend Alaric's voice came from out front. "The van's loaded. Are you ready?"

When Elena had mentioned during one night out with Ric and Jenna that she had been planning to sell her house, Alaric had offered to help with the move. He owned a moving company, she'd learned, and he was willing to do it all, free of charge.

"We'll be right out," Damon hollered.

"You ready to let the memories you've made from this place go?" Damon asked softly as Elena looked around the house one last time.

A few moments later, Elena turned to face him, smiling.

"I am. The memories that I've made in this house are no where near as important or as special as the ones I hope to make with you,"

Damon shook his head. "You don't need to hope, Elena," he said as he took her hand, which donned his engagement ring. "My life's mission is to make you happy,"

At that, Elena burst into tears of contentment. She threw her arms around Damon's neck and kissed him with every will in her body. The contact sent shutters of electricity lacing through her veins as she felt Damon pull her against him. When Elena moved to unbutton the top button on his shirt, Alaric's voice rang out again.  
"I don't care if you two are having sex. If you're not out here in the next ten seconds, you're walking back to the house,"

At the anger in Alaric's voice, Damon pulled away and leaned his forehead against Elena's.

"We should go," he breathed. "Before Alaric has a hissy fit."

Elena nodded, smiling. "We wouldn't want that to happen, would we?"

* * *

_One week Later- Dec 13_

"Elena, get down here!"

Elena gasped as she stood in front of the tall, elegant mirror in the bathroom at Damon's parent's house. The dress that flowed down her body to the floor beneath her was simply the most stunningly beautiful dress that she'd seen in her entire life. In fact, it was _too _stunningly beautiful to be real, Elena concluded. And Damon had been aching and begging to see her in it before the wedding...

Three Weeks Ago

"Come on, Elena," Damon whined, "Just one time,"

Elena shook her head as she stood up from the couch. "Haven't you heard? It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her dress before the wedding."

Damon scoffed.

Was this all a joke to him?

"What's the worst that could happen?" he asked.

"We could get divorced, We could-"

"I'll stop you right there," Damon said as he stood up from the couch and walked until her was directly in front of her. "I wouldn't have even thought about asking you to marry me if I had thought for a _second _that it could end in divorce," he said cooly, though Elena knew that he wanted to reassure her.

"How do you know?" she asked softly.

"Because I love you too much to ever want to be separated from you again," he said as he caressed her cheek. "I've been there twice now." he said bitterly. "I don't want to have to endure a third."

"You're so confident in us," she assessed.

"I'm confident in anything if I believe in it," he told her, and Elena agreed

"I believe in us, too," she smiled.

"Elena!"

Caroline's harsh barks tore Elena from her memory, and she sighed as she made her way down the stairs.

"Oh, my god,"

Eight gasps filled the air, and Elena looked up at her bridesmaids, who wore long, silk burgundy gowns that were absolutely beautiful.

Caroline, Bonnie, Jenna, Lexi, Rebekah, Rose, Vanessa and Anna all stood, gaping at her in disbelief.

"What?" Elena panicked. "Does it look bad?"

Eight synchronized heads shook enthusiastically, and Elena blinked as Jenna, her maid of honor, stepped forward.

"Elena, you look absolutely beautiful," she said, her green eyes gleaming with unshed tears. "Damon will be left breathless when he sees you,"

At the mention of Damon, Elena felt her skin redden. Any mention of thought of her soon-to-be husband just made her stomach swarm with butterflies. Suddenly, Elena had a nagging thought. Did her stomach look big? Did it tarnish her image?

"My stomach, it doesn't-?" she wondered hesitantly.

"Elena, honey, you've always been so afraid of what people thought of you, what you thought of yourself. But _please _believe me when I say that there is _nothing _wrong with the way you look right now. I wouldn't change a hair on your head, and neither would Damon."

"Yeah, if anything, the dress _compliments _your stomach," Caroline said, coming forward. "You're beautiful, Elena,"

At those words, Elena smiled wistfully, tears of joy creeping up. Immediately, Caroline ran to hug her, followed by every one of Elena's friends.

"I love you guys," Elena giggled through her tears.

"We love you, too," Jenna said as she pulled away. "Now. We've got a wedding to attend to."

* * *

Damon couldn't wait to see how beautiful Elena looked in her dress. He'd been itching to see her in it since she'd shared the news that Caroline and Bonnie had dragged her to David's Bridal to pick out the perfect dress. Elena could be wearing a potato sack and he would still think she looked beautiful. As long as she was going to walk down that aisle and let him slide his ring on her finger.

Soon, the hymn of the Wedding March loomed through the air, and Damon watched the guests rise as the wooden chapel doors opened, revealing the bridesmaids and their partners.

First to walk down the velvet red carpet was Caroline, on her arm was Tyler Lockwood. Damon had remembered that all throughout high school, Tyler had always had something for Caroline. He'd made it pretty damn obvious during the football games, when Caroline would look at him. He'd even cost them a game because he was too infatuated with her. He was happy to see them together. Knowing that his and Elena's relationship had brought others together was a welcome feeling of joy.

Bonnie and Jeremy were shortly behind them, smiling from ear to ear. Elena had mentioned that Jeremy was into Bonnie, and he looked every bit of it as he and Bonnie strolled down the carpet.

A few people that Damon recognized as Elena's former co-workers made their way down the aisle with some guy. Then, when Jenna and Alaric entered, Damon straightened up. She was coming soon.

Damon watched as Jeremy stepped out of his place in the group and made his way to the front entrance. Before he knew it, Damon felt a strong grip at his shoulder. he glanced up to see Ric smiling at him, and when Ric mouthed "There she is," Damon turned his head to the entrance.

He could've died right then and there and be perfectly content. Elena was absolutely breathtaking. The whole city of Paris couldn't compare to her beauty. Hell, the whole _universe _couldn't compare to her beauty. Elena had one rare form of beauty, that was so underestimated and was almost unreal. How he'd managed to stay friends with her since he was eleven, and not act on the feelings that he was certain were buried somewhere deep inside his fear of commitment and love, he didn't know. He would never know, or understand, that justification.

When Elena's chocolate doe eyes met his, Damon felt as if he was staring up at the sun. Her beauty cast a warmth over him, and he felt as though he couldn't live without her. He _needed _her in order to live. As he continued to stare into her eyes, Damon felt himself melting. She was the perfection. She was the Mona Lisa. The Atlantic Ocean. The Moon. Her radiant light was too strong, and too good for him.

But, someway, somehow, she'd chosen him.

As Elena walked through the doors of the church hall, she didn't register that there was about a couple hundred guests staring at her, waiting for her to walk down the aisle and promise to love the man of her dreams forever. She didn't register her brother on her arm, or Meredith behind her, holding her dress. She only registered that beautiful man not fifteen feet before her. As they locked eyes, Elena felt her entire life become fulfilled. She was about to be able to stare into those eyes for the rest of her life. She was about to be able to wake up next to him in the morning, and to fall asleep next to him every night.

"Elena, you need to go,"

Jeremy's hushed whisper from behind startled Elena, and soon, she saw several confused face expressions cross those of her guests, and she slowly strode down the aisle.

With every second that Elena stepped closer to him, Damon felt as if he was closing the door on his old life, ready to open the door with Elena to their future together.

In what seemed like an eternity, Elena stood before him, and Jeremy handed Elena's hand to Damon.

"Take care of my sister," he said firmly, and before Jeremy had the chance to walk away, Damon could've sworn that he'd seen tears in his eyes. Damon turned to face the woman who was his reason for existing. Her eyes shown with absolute content.

Soon, the minister's voice echoed off of the walls as the piano died down.

"Dear friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert in marriage. Through their time together, they have come to realize that their personal dreams, hopes, and goals are more attainable and more meaningful through the combined effort and mutual support provided in love, commitment, and family; and so they have decided to live together as husband and wife."

Damon hardly registered anything that he had said. All he could think about was Elena.

"True marriage begins well before the wedding day, and the efforts of marriage continue well beyond the ceremony's end. A brief moment in time and the stroke of the pen are all that is required to create the legal bond of marriage, but it takes a lifetime of love, commitment, and compromise to make marriage durable and everlasting. Today you declare your commitment to each other before family and friends, your yesterdays were the path to this moment, and your journey to a future of togetherness becomes a little clearer with each new day."

"Now, you may read your vows."

Damon cleared his throat.

"Elena," he said loudly. "We've known each other, trusted each other, and confided in each other for ten years. For four of those years, I had found myself wondering, "What if?" when it came to you. What if I had told you how I felt? What if you felt the same way? What if it was all in my head? But not anymore. Now, I know. I know that I was an idiot not to act on my feelings four years ago. I know that letting you go, was the worst mistake of my life, and I will not regret it for the reason that we found our way back to each other, and we are standing here today because of it. Before you, I didn't want marriage. I didn't want a family. When you came back into my life, I found myself going against my thoughts as I thought about what kind of future we could have. I knew that it would be a rough road, but I know that you're worth it. You're my best friend. You know me like no one else. You're stronger than anyone I've ever known. You can survive the impossible," Damon winked at Elena, and her cheeks immediately flamed. "You have compassion for people like no other, and you are willing to go to the ends of the earth to protect those you love. And saying that, I promise you this: I promise you endless strength that you can count on when you are weak. I'll be your music when you can't hear, your sunshine when you can't see, or your perfume when you can't smell. You'll never need to look further than me. I'll be your days and nights when you need them filled, your spark of life in the darkness, your hope when you're down and out."

I promise to love you, to cherish you, to laugh with you, to cry with you, and to smile with you as we make everlasting memories. You're loss is my loss. Your dreams are my dreams. Your happiness is my happiness, and I promise to give you everything that you want in life, and I promise to give you me, forever."

Elena nearly lost her breath as she took in Damon's words. Her eyes were now pools of tears as she cleared her throat.

"Damon," she smiled through her tears. "I can't ever imagine my life without you. You are my home. You've been my home for ten years. When I face a challenge in life, you are the reason that I triumph. Your love and support id my saving grace, and without it, I wouldn't be who I am today. I wouldn't be standing in a church, pledging my heart and soul to anyone else but you. You're there when you're not. You've helped me in ways you don't know. You've been there for me when I didn't deserve you. You've been there for me to tell me if I'm going to mess up, and you're there to make sure I'm safe and secure. You are my everything, and I give you my promise to love you forever. I promise to follow you as you pursue your dreams and goals, and I promise to stand by you through thick and thin. We may be caught in a storm, but together, we will find shelter."

As Damon regarded her, Elena felt as if she was the luckiest girl in the entire universe. Elena was about to mouth something to him when the officiate's voice emerged. Suddenly, Damon turned, and Elena saw Caroline running toward them with a velvet pillow. On top of the pillow, she noticed their wedding bands.

"Wedding rings are made precious by our wearing them." The officiate recited as she and Damon took the other's ring in their hands. "Your rings say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bound together. Let these rings also be a sign that love has substance as well as soul, a present as well as a past, and that, despite its occasional sorrows, love is a circle of happiness, wonder, and delight. May these rings remind you always of the vows you have taken here today."

Damon's voice recited crystal clear as he took Elena's hand in his. "I give you this ring, as I give to you all that I am, and accept from you, all that you are."

Elena felt Damon slide on the beautiful golden band, with a shimmering diamond stone encrypted. She would've been perfectly happy if he would've given her a Candy Ring. It didn't matter what was on the price tag. It mattered what was in the meaning of the ring.

"I give you this ring," Elena said as she took Damon's hand in hers and slid the ring on his finger. "as a symbol of my love for you, and as a symbol of our forever."

Elena watched as the Officiate grinned. "And now, by the power vested in me by the State of Virginia, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Damon didn't even breathe until his hands were cupped around Elena's face. He kissed her as if there was no tomorrow. He kissed her as if it was the last time.

But it wasn't.

They had a thousand more kisses to be hand.

Elena felt her stomach soaring up to the heavens as Damon's lips parted against her own. His touch left traces of flames in her blood, and she was going under. Vaguely, she had heard the eruption of applause from the guests. Damon broke away and leaned his head against her forehead.

"Hi," he smirked as he caressed her cheek.

"Hi," Elena giggled.

"Ladies and Gentlemen" the officiate announced, and Damon and Elena turned to the guests. "I present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Damon and Elena Salvatore!"

* * *

_Three Years Later_

Elena lay peacefully in the plush green grass out back beside the pool. She traced the patterns of the clouds with her eyes, and smiled when she saw an object hidden among them. It reminded her of her childhood, of a time when she and Damon had laid outside and watched the clouds. At her side was her daughter, and Elena smiled contently as she caressed Miranda's head.

"Mommy, what are dose?" Miranda's small voice asked as she pointed up at the sky.

"Those are clouds," Elena said softly. "They're pretty, aren't they?"

"Not as pretty as Mommy."

Elena looked up to see Damon carrying Daniel, the beautiful and familiar smirk on his face.

"I don't know about that," Elena said, blushing.

"Elena, don't sell yourself short," Damon scolded gently.

"I'm not," Elena shook her head. "I just think that they're hard to compete with."

"Elena, heaven is not as beautiful as you," Damon said, and Elena shook her head.

"You're sweet," she smiled at him.

"What do you think?" Damon asked Miranda. "Is Mommy prettier than the clouds?"

Miranda nodded anxiously as she jumped up and down. "Mommy's pwettier than the sun!"

"See," Damon smirked. "Your own daughter disagrees with you,"

"Mommy!" Daniel cried delightfully, suddenly squealing to get out of Damon's grasp. Damon set down Daniel onto the soft ground, and Elena watched him waddle over to her. Suddenly, he took her by surprise as he jumped on top of her swollen stomach.

"Hey, sweetie," Elena smiled. She'd never been this happy in her life.

"Hey, easy with Mommy," Damon's calm yet authoritative voice said. "She's fragile right now,"

Elena rolled her eyes. _Damon the over-protective husband._

"I'm fine, Damon," she said.

"You're five months pregnant, Elena," Damon shook his head. "You're fragile,"

Elena hadn't expected another baby so soon. She had been surprised, but delighted. She'd always wanted a big family.

"Are Caroline and Tyler still coming to the beach tomorrow?" Damon asked, and Elena nodded.

Not long after Elena and Damon had tied the knot, Caroline had announced her engagement to her high school sweetheart, Tyler Lockwood. They had gotten married within a few months, honeymooned in Miami, and Caroline was delighted to come back pregnant. She too had been expecting twins.

"And they're bringing Ethan and Sarah?" Damon asked.

"I hope so," Elena sighed. "It'll be hard to entertain these two without those little rugrats of Care's," She rubbed Daniel's head.

"Hey, should we get going to the fair?" Damon asked, and Elena perked up. It was the fourth of July, and the fair was in town. Elena and Damon had made arrangements to go with the kids, and Elena was excited herself. She loved rides.

"Yeah," She nodded as she moved to get up. Damon outstretched his hand for her, and Elena took it as she stood up.

"Thank you," she smiled.

"You're most welcome," Damon grinned.

Elena took her hand in his as they walked toward the pier.

* * *

**AN: **SOB! Once again, thank you to all of you for sticking with Delena until the very end.

**AN:**PLEASE FAVE/FOLLOW. Oh, and PLEASE **_REVIEW :) _**It motivates me to update more!

**PS:** Now that this story is wrapped up, feel free to check out my other TVD/DE fanfic stories _**Bitten: The Marked,**_it's sequels **_Bitten: The Hunted_** &**_ Bitten: The Saved, Mirrors, The Other Side of Me, Star Crossed, Secrets & Lies _**and **_Temptation._** I'd _REALLY_ appreciate it :)

**PPS: **_Follow_ me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13!


End file.
